Blossoms & Blades
by StormButt
Summary: There's a reason why Chopper is so demanding when it comes to the well being of his friends. It's why he's willing to harass them to stay healthy when they're hurt. When Zoro finds out that reason, and what it means to Chopper for him to stay safe, he decides to try and make it up to the doctor. He's never been good at traditional compassion, but with Chopper its always different.
1. Bandages

Restrictive. It was the one word that had been lingering on Zoro's mind for the past three days. Every moment he made felt tight and unresponsive. His body felt trapped in its own skin, unable to break free. Even meditation, the one place he normally was able to free himself from the restrictions of his body and find peace, was held back by that feeling. His breathing was wrong, as he couldn't fully expand his chest.

Zoro was on a thin line between boredom and anger. The way the Thousand Sunny swayed and rocked with every wave in the night only irritated him more. His hand tightened around one of his sheathed swords and his brow slightly twitched. There was a dull pain in his knuckles he found hard to ignore.

It had been three days since the attack. Zoro wasn't stupid, and was willing to admit he was the one who had made the mistake. He had been taken by surprise when the marines attacked their ship. He remembered very little past the striking pain in his body and the embarrassing way he had to be helped back to Chopper's cabin.

"Why are you so reckless?" Chopper had asked him after Zoro had woken up from a very long, and very restless nap.

Reckless. Zoro didn't know if he would ever describe himself as reckless. There was a battle, and he had won it. He had helped fight off the marines while sustaining a few embarrassing injuries. It wasn't reckless, it was a mistake. The more Chopper used that word around him the more it annoyed him.

Zoro looked down at his bandaged hand. He could hardly make a fist, and that made him frown and narrow his eyes. The bandages went all the way up his arm and around his entire midsection. His right side had taken the worst of the impact. He had seen his arm without bandages, and it wasn't pretty. To him, all it was were more scars he would have to live with. They fit with the hundreds of others he had obtained in the past. Still, the stitches were unexpected. He didn't like the idea of tiny pins of metal inside of him holding his skin together.

"Are you still moping, moron?"

The voice came from above. Zoro didn't even bother to look up. To hear Sanji was bad enough. To actually look at him might just piss him off entirely.

"Go away," Zoro grumbled. He stood up with his back turned toward Sanji and looked up to the sky at his dojo.

"I know you and the doc are a bit tense right now," Sanji said. "But that's no reason to skip out on dinner."

"It's not a fight with Chopper," Zoro growled as he looked back and up to Sanji. "Why, did he send you to make sure I'm not being bad?"

Sanji, like Zoro, had a few visible bandages. Though his were not as intense as Zoro's own his neck and left hand both were patched up. He took a drag on his cigarette as he stared up at Zoro from the balcony.

"Depends," Sanji said. "Are you being bad?"

"Piss off," Zoro said with a dismissive wave. "Look if you're gonna tell him anything tell him I'll be meditating in my dojo and it's NONE OF HIS BUSINESS to come up and check on me again!"

Sanji made a noise of annoyance, but didn't bother to say anything else to Zoro. Perhaps he knew there was no point in reasoning with his thick skull, or perhaps there was simply no interest in pursuing the topic further.

Zoro tried to flex his arm in annoyance at Sanji's mocking tone. The bandages restricted him, and he grinded his teeth through the pain. He wanted to work out. He needed to train.

Zoro eyed the ladder leading to his dojo and put his hand on the first wrung to begin his climb.

—- -

"It looks like it's healing fine," Chopper said as he dabbed the cotton ball to Usopp's skinny arm.

"Of course it's healing fine," Usopp said. "Honestly, I can't believe after dodging fifty bullets only this tiny one managed to graze me."

Chopper smiled, but past that found it difficult to put on his usual happy tone and giggle at Usopp's heroic stories. He simply nodded his head and listened as his friend recounted the events of the marine invasion.

"I was worried it'd be infected," Chopper said. "But it looks fine, Usopp. I don't think it'll even leave a scar with the medicine I gave you."

"Eh," Usopp said, nearly sounding disappointed. "Not even a tiny one?"

Chopper giggled. Moments like this were the times he treasured most. The sound of his captain already snoring in his hammock in the corner and the warmth and fullness Sanji's cooking felt in his belly. Listening to Usopp talk and tell his stories shortly before they all climbed into their hammocks felt nearly like a lullaby.

Still, Chopper felt off. Something in his belly felt twisted, and it wasn't Sanji's food. His head felt light, and it was hard to focus even if he put all of his energy to a task.

"Hey," Sanji's voice came from behind Chopper. The small reindeer looked over his shoulder to see he was already taking off his black jacket and unbuttoning the top of his blue dress shirt.

"Oh hey, Sanji," Chopper said. "Did you see Zoro."

"Pff," Sanji said with a roll of his eyes and a drag of his cigarette. "Yeah, I saw him. Said he was off to go meditate in his dojo. Guy's still throwing a fit, I guess. I still think he'd listen more to you than he would me."

"Mmm," Chopper said as he turned back to Usopp just in time to finish tying up the knot on his bandages.

"You're really adamant about him keeping those bandages on this time, aren't you?" Usopp said. "I don't know how you stand up to that guy. He gives me one glare and I feel goosebumps all over my arms."

"Zoro's not that bad," Chopper mumbled.

"Not to you, fluffball," Sanji teased as he passed and pressed the tips of his fingers down on top of Chopper's pink hat. The brim went past his eyes and Chopper squeaked before lifting it back up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chopper questioned.

"Eh, I gotta agree with Sanji on this one," Usopp said with a grin of his own. "Zoro's hard as brick around anybody but you."

"Maybe he thinks you're cute," Sanji said with a laugh.

"Sh-Shut up!" Chopper snapped. His face was hot and pink at the words.

Chopper tried to stand up and take a defiant step toward the chef, though within attempting to do so one step felt wobbly and he was forced to quickly sit back down. He groaned and squeezed at his forehead.

"Hey, you alright, Chopper?" Usopp asked.

"Fine," Chopper said wearily. He got to his feet again shakily, and this time did not come tumbling back down. "Just a little tired."

"Not surprised," Usopp said with a bit of a bitter tone. He crossed his arms and shrugged. "All of us got banged up pretty bad by those marines, huh? You've really been working overtime to keep us all healthy. Heck, even yourself."

Usopp reached out and patted his hand against Chopper's midsection. Bandages wrapped around it too. That little touch forced Chopper to resist wincing. He rubbed the area and shrugged.

"I'm just doing my job," Chopper said while trying to keep his sheepish thoughts contained.

"You sure you're okay?" Sanji asked just as he put out his cigarette. "You hardly ate any food at dinner. Heck, I think Robin ate more than you."

"Someone say food?" Luffy muttered from the back of the cabin. His tone was half asleep yet still his hand raised.

"One of these days he's gonna give me a heart attack," Usopp said after a jump from Luffy's voice. Quickly the captain settled back down and began to snore again.

"I'm fine," Chopper said again. "I'm the doctor here. I should be asking all of you that."

"If you say so," Sanji said.

Usopp got up as well and stretched his arms up above his head. Chopper stared longingly at one of the empty hammocks, but then out back to the door. He could just barely see the bottom of Zoro's dojo high in the sky. He frowned.

"You coming to bed, Chopper?" Usopp asked. "Or should I leave the lantern on."

"You can turn it off," Chopper said as he began packing up his medical supplies. "I'm gonna put all this stuff back in the medical cabin and then look what we need to pick up later. Don't wait up, alright? You two should sleep to heal up faster."

"Speak for yourself," Usopp said with a playful grin, but then waved to Chopper and wished him a goodnight.

Chopper exited the cabin with his tiny arms filled to the brim with bandages and medicines. He sighed and looked to the night sky. The air was chilly but it hardly bothered him. Still, he couldn't stop staring up at Zoro's dojo.

He knew Zoro would be mad if he were to check up on him this late. If he really was just meditating and not doing something stupid like working out Chopper would get an earful for interrupting him.

Chopper's belly felt twisted as he pondered just what he should do.

—- -—-

Meditation wasn't working. Zoro knew it wouldn't from the moment he had tried. He couldn't focus his breath right for the life of him. He dug his fingernails into his pants and stared down at the wood floorboards. There was a sweat breaking on his forehead that was difficult to ignore. He couldn't keep his eyes shut for more than a few seconds when usually his concentration could last for hours. He kept glancing to his weight on the side of the ship.

Chopper wouldn't just be mad at him. He would be furious. The past three days had been complete and utter hell for Zoro. Sleeping hurt. Trying to work out hurt. Meditating even hurt. Everything hurt and it just pissed him off. The only thing that ever calmed his irritation in the past had been pushing his body past its limits. To simply be denied that and told that he wasn't allowed was… cruel.

"Stupid," Zoro muttered under his breath. If it was directed at himself, or Chopper, or even nobody in general he had no idea.

Then, he did something even more stupid. Zoro got to his feet and walked over to a small set of weights. It was something he used just to warm up. Chopper had forbid even these. He rolled it back and forth with his foot and angrily weighed his options. He knew Chopper was normally asleep by this time of night. Still, the face of the reindeer popping in his mind annoyed him. He could already hear his voice shouting at him to not even think about it like some sort of condescending authority figure.

Zoro leaned down and grabbed at the weight. He lifted it with both of his hands. It was easy. He tried to squeeze his fist around the bar, which wasn't as easy. The bandages held his body back. Even as he slowly raised and lowered the bar he knew his body was not performing well enough. There was a sharp pain in his right side that he couldn't hide by grinding his teeth together.

"Arugh," Zoro growled as he let the weight drop from his hands and roll onto the floor. He gripped his side in irritation. It stung, but what truly let him down was his body's slow reaction due to the bandages.

"Enough," Zoro said to himself and began to tear them off. He was in a mad state for the next several moments as he abandoned all of the white gauze and threw it to the floor. His arms and all the cuts and stitches branding them were soon exposed but finally he could breathe again. He took in a deep breath and groaned, reaching his hands upward so he could finally lift them above his head.

"Finally," Zoro growled, and then looked down at both the mess of gauze he had made as well as the weights he had dropped. He reached down to pick them up, and then…

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"

Chopper's voice was loud, shrill, and most importantly upset. The sound of it alone made Zoro freeze and shut his eyes. He could already hear the sound of hooves against metal as Chopper scrambled up the rest of the ladder, still huffing and shouting more annoyances. Zoro stood up and turned to face the reindeer whose eyes were wide and furious.

"One thing!" Chopper snapped. "I ask you to do ONE THING!"

"I thought you might have been asleep by now," Zoro said, already knowing it was a lame excuse.

"So then that makes it fine?" Chopper threw back. He was waving his arms frantically both at Zoro and the bandages on the floor. "I told you again and again those stitches need to heal before you can go back to training!"

"I know my own body better than you do, Chopper," Zoro growled. "And you're really starting to piss me off."

Those words should have worked on nearly every member of the crew. He did not hold back his anger in that moment. He let his pure anger and frustration into those words and even took a step toward Chopper. Chopper, to his surprise, didn't even flinch. He stared right back and lifted a hoof to point at Zoro's chest.

"Clearly you don't!" Chopper said. "Because you'd realize you're already bleeding!"

Zoro looked down to his chest and realized it was true. One of the worst cuts just above his pec had a thin line of blood trailing down it. Though he hardly felt the sting of the injury at this point the blood was flowing strong.

Chopper took a step forward toward the bandages. Zoro watched, and realized the reindeer seemed a bit wobbly. He got down onto his knees to try and gather them up but it was more like he fell. His head dropped and he let out a whine of frustration.

"Now these are all wasted," Chopper mumbled. "And we were already running low…"

Chopper's words were trailing off now.

"Hey, Chopper," Zoro said.

Chopper had stopped gathering up the bandages now. He was on his knees and hooves now. Zoro took one step forward, and then the reindeer crashed onto his side with both of his eyes shut. For a moment the whole dojo was quiet enough for a pin drop to be heard. Zoro stared at his fallen crewmate for just a moment with shock.

"Shit," Was the only thing Zoro could think to say.

—-

Chopper somehow felt as though he were both burning and freezing all at once. He could feel his body squirming but couldn't for the life of him bring himself to open his eyes. He felt the warmth and softness of his medical bed. During the few moments of brief lucidity he had he was always shivering and close to tears. He heard voices, but not words. He felt lost in his own head.

The only thing that brought him back to reality was the gentle touch of a palm on his back. It ran down his shoulders to the top of his pants and up again. Though he trembled and shook that hand remained strongly in his mind. Even when he felt as though he could hardly breathe and his body burned with the fire of hell itself that hand kept him grounded.

Chopper knew he was awake not when the pain stopped, but when it grew worse. He felt sweat soak his fur. He was wrapped in a blanket with his head pressed to a soft pillow. The wall of the cabin was difficult to look at as any signs of life made his head throb.

"Mmm," Chopper whined.

"Hey, Chopper."

Chopper uncovered his head from the blanket at the sound of that voice. Though it hurt his body to do so he forced himself to roll over. What he saw was a mess. A complete and total mess of his medical bay. Books were everywhere, some open some closed and some just upside down. Every drawer had been opened and various supplies were all scattered about. He lifted his hoof to shield his eyes from the way a nearby lantern fire hurt his head.

"Zoro?" Chopper asked. His voice was smaller than he realized. His throat felt dry and begged him to stay silent.

"Yeah," Zoro said. "It's me."

Chopper blinked, and looked up at Zoro's face. There he was right beside the bed. Chopper lifted his hoof and Zoro took him by the wrist and set it back down.

"Don't move so much," Zoro said. "You've been out for awhile now."

Chopper closed his eyes again and felt Zoro's fingers slip away from his wrist.

"What happened?" Chopper asked wearily.

"You passed out," Zoro said. "While you were yelling at me, actually."

The swordsman was frowning now. There was a look on his face that when Chopper cracked open his eyes soon faded to a more usual expression. Still, he saw it. Seeing it alone made Chopper's chest feel wrong as though he had done something wrong. He saw worry in Zoro's face. Genuine worry.

"I don't… really know what to do," Zoro said. "I was looking through your stuff but all the words don't make much sense to me. Stuff about roots and herbs and mixing and all these names I didn't know shit about… Jeez how do you stay awake reading all that stuff?"

Chopper looked around again at all of the books. It hit him very unexpectedly hard upon realizing that they looked like a mess simply because Zoro had been reading them. His chest felt tight.

"I carried you here," Zoro said. He was rambling now. "You kind of threw up off the side of the ship once we got off the ladder. I didn't know what else to do so I just brought you here."

Chopper struggled to move. With great effort he sat himself up. Zoro made a movement as if to shove him back down but stopped just when Chopper got himself to a seated position. That slight bit of effort was causing him to gasp and tremble.

Zoro looked annoyed, but it wasn't at Chopper. He stared down at the floor. His brow was tight and furrowed.

"Zoro," Chopper said.

"Yeah?" Zoro asked as he looked up.

"Could you… get me some water?"

Zoro was quick to move. Chopper could hardly stand to sit up any longer as he crashed back down onto the pillow and closed his eyes so the room would stop spinning. It took Zoro less than two minutes to return. Chopper tried to sit up again but found he lacked the strength.

"Here," Zoro said, and leaned forward so he could put his arm under Chopper and lift his head. The water from the glass felt cool and soothing on Chopper's fiery throat. He could only take a few sips before his stomach began to turn again and he had to refuse more. As Zoro set it on the side table he released Chopper and allowed him to lay back down.

"Why the heck didn't you tell anybody you felt this sick?" Zoro asked. He sounded angry, but when Chopper looked at him he wasn't staring the reindeer in the eye. "It's no good if our only doctor doesn't feel well enough to patch us up."

Chopper frowned, and turned his head away from Zoro.

"Everybody else needed my help," Chopper mumbled.

"Still," Zoro pressed. "You really scared the shit out of me when you just passed out. What if that happened and I wasn't around? Hell, what if it happened when you were climbing the ladder?"

Chopper didn't answer that. He turned his body so he was facing away from Zoro. There was a slight sting in his eye he had to concentrate on so it wouldn't form into something more embarrassing. He curled up the best he could even though his body trembled.

"Everybody was hurt," Chopper said. "If anything happened to any of you it would be my fault. If we didn't have a cook or a navigator or… You… I don't know what would happen to us."

Chopper realized he took extra care to directly say that about Zoro. Even though his face was turned away he still hid it behind covers to mask his growing blush. It was embarrassing to say out loud that those were his thoughts.

"It's harder to kill me than these few wounds," Zoro said. "You know that, Chopper."

Chopper swallowed a lump in his throat. He was trembling now for another reason.

"If you trained and your wounds opened again and got infected… If I was sick like this you'd die and it would be my fault."

Chopper's words hung in the air. His voice was small but still it commanded a force that made the weight of the air suddenly feel heavy. His eyes felt as though they might start watering as he struggled to breathe. He tried to breathe in but all he ended up doing was coughing.

"I don't wanna lose you," Chopper said softly. He was delirious now, and not choosing his words carefully. He wasn't able to hide his true emotions now that he had started. "I don't want to lose any of you. If I did then I'd just be alone again."

Chopper suddenly felt childish and small. He felt tears spill from his eyes so he buried his face into a pillow so Zoro wouldn't see him. He knew it was obvious, though, due to the sounds he was making. The room wouldn't stop spinning and his throat wouldn't stop hurting which only made him more upset. He was angry, and sad, and upset, and vulnerable all at once.

"Chopper," Zoro said.

Chopper tried his best to silence his pitiful crying. In doing so he felt Zoro's hand reach out and touch his exposed shoulder before running down his back. It was warm, and gentle. It grounded him for just a moment and made the tears stop flowing.

"I promise you aren't ever gonna be alone," Zoro said. "Everybody on this ship cares about you just as much as you care about them. I'm sure they could take care of themselves for one day so you don't push yourself like this anymore."

Chopper sniffled, and knew that Zoro's words were true. Even as he lifted one of his hooves to squeeze over his pounding heart he knew it was true. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt simply for laying here and not tending to his friends which he knew were hurt. He had barely slept in three days.

"Why don't you ever listen to me?" Chopper asked. "About the bandages."

Zoro was silent for a bit. His hand didn't leave Chopper's shoulder but other than that he was so quiet that Chopper could have believed he had simply left the room.

"I need to be stronger," Zoro said. "Stronger so that nobody I fight ever beats me."

Chopper turned over finally back to face Zoro. He didn't care that his furry cheeks were damp with faded tears. There was a look in Zoro's eyes past all of his gruffness and stone expression that told Chopper there was compassion behind them.

"Stronger so that my stupid doctor doesn't work himself until he passes out because everybody got hurt."

Chopper felt his chest tighten at that. His heart beat just a little bit faster. There was something undeniably… cool about the way Zoro spoke. The way he said those words. It reminded Chopper almost of heros in stories.

"I'm sorry," Zoro said suddenly. His face did not change expression even when Chopper stared into his eyes. "I didn't think about the kind of pressure I was putting on you."

"I know… I know why you do it. I mean, why you did it," Chopper said. He reached out his hoof and took hold of the tightly bound green bandana on Zoro's arm. Zoro's eyes cast downward onto it. He didn't move. "I just… If I lost you, Zoro."

"I get it," Zoro said quickly. He reached up and grabbed Chopper's hoof in his own. For just a moment he squeezed it before settling it down back on the bed. He nodded to the reindeer. "I'll work on it."

Chopper put a small smile on his face. He didn't know how much of Zoro's words were truthful, but he could tell by looking into his eyes that he at least had true emotion behind them. He stared at his friend and tried to ignore the beating in his chest which was beginning to grow faster.

"Now," Zoro said. He slapped both hands on his knees and stood up before dusting himself off. "What do you need, Doctor? A wet rag or some food or something?"

"Huh?" Chopper asked with mild befuddlement when he looked up. "What the heck are you talking about."

"I'm talking about how I'm gonna take care of your reckless ass until you feel better," Zoro said with a pointing finger. "And if it means I have to go kick that asshole cooks ass to make you some soup or whatever I'll be more than happy! He pissed me off earlier anyway."

"Zor… Zoro! You can't just do that!" Chopper said with a whine. "I don't need anything, really! I was just a little lightheaded and…"

I'll see if Sanji left out any food that you can stomach with how sick you are," Zoro said. "Aren't you always hounding me to eat and stay hydrated when I bust myself up."

Chopper groaned and laid back down. Before he could even try to argue further Zoro had turned and exited straight out of the door. The reindeer stared up at the ceiling with a quiet whimper to himself.

Chopper wasn't sure why, but his heart kept pounding.


	2. Rain

"I smell rain," Chopper said. His nose twitched slightly at the faint smell in the air. He was gazing over the side of the Thousand Sunny out to the open, seemingly endless ocean. The sky was bright and sparse with cloud save for a far off glimmer of thunderous grey just at where the sky met the sea.

"You think so?" Nami questioned. She had a hand on her hip and raised the other to shield the glare of the sun from her eyes as she gazed out to the horizon. "Well, we are getting awfully close to an island."

"I hope so," Chopper said with a weary sigh. "That last marine attack really wiped out a lot of my basic supplies. I hope we find an island with a shopping district."

"Not to mention cut through our water supplies,"

Robin spoke now. She had been quiet and absorbed in one of her books and a few feet away from both Chopper and Nami. She only looked up occasionally to nod or give a small grin. Chopper looked at her and received a smile in return that told him she had been listening intently.

"Heh, don't remind me," Nami said with a nervous laugh. She looked to Chopper who still continued to stare out into the ocean. "You're feeling better though, right?"

Chopper blinked and looked up to Nami. She had a worried expression hidden behind her cheery smile. Chopper smiled back and gave a gentle nod of his head.

"A lot better," Chopper said.

"I can't believe Zoro found you just laying out in the middle of the deck like that. It makes me feel awful to think you could have been out like that till somebody woke up." Nami said as she too gazed out to the ocean.

"Yeah…" Chopper said, his words trailing off as he looked away from the ocean and up to Zoro's dojo in the sky.

For whatever reason, neither of the two had given the full details of what exactly happened one week prior. Their story was filled with half truths. The sort that didn't feel wrong to say, but also didn't feel possible to convey what really happened.

Chopper remembered very little from his talk with Zoro. He was delirious from sickness at the time. Luckily for him it had cleared up in very little time, likely being a virus he caught by accident. He remembered feeling warmth in a way he hadn't in a very long time. He also remembered spilling his feelings like an over emotional wreck about fear of losing his friends.

That last part still embarrassed him if he thought about it for too long.

"HEEEEY!"

Nami and Chopper both turned to see Franky standing at the top of the ship deck with both his arms waving trying to grab somebody attention.

"What is it?" Nami called.

"I think I see land!" Franky shouted. "An island!"

"Shoot, already?" Nami yelled before taking off. "Why didn't you tell me sooner! C'mon, let's get this boat ready for docking! Where the hell is Luffy?"

Chopper hopped down from the small ledge he had been standing on for a better view of the ocean and was just about to run off and assist with the matter of preparing the ship when he heard Robin give a slight chuckle.

"Are you sure you're up to helping?" Robin asked. "You've been bedridden for almost a full week."

"I'm fine!" Chopper said with an excited grin. "I wanna go visit the new island!"

"Something tells me one of our crewmates might have something to say about that."

Instantly only one face came to Chopper's mind. As if Robin were reading Chopper's mind she closed her book and gave him one of her simple smiles. It took Chopper a moment to realize he had frozen in place and was staring off into space. By the time he snapped out of it Robin had walked past him and set a gentle touch on top of his hat.

"C'mon," Robin said. "Let's help our crewmates."

Chopper nodded his head and followed Robin. Still, he couldn't shake feeling strange about her words. It stayed in his mind for quite some time; all up until they were docked onto the island.

— - — - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Okay, we need to get some more meat. Some more of that bird kind. I forget which one, but I want like twenty of them! Oh, oh! That dish you made last week with the red creamy stuff!"

"Slow down, Luffy," Sanji said with a grumble. "We don't even know if this island is gonna have access to the kind of spices I'd need for that."

"Do you two ever stop yelling?" Zoro said with an annoyed tone as he adjusted the three swords resting near his belt. His bandages, the ones Chopper had previously applied, were finally gone. Though his muscles and body still felt sore he could freely move again. "It's bad enough you woke me up to help you dock the damn boat but do you have to shout in my ear right after?"

"And just what are you going to do while the rest of us get supplies we need?" Sanji questioned.

"I dunno," Zoro said with a shrug and looked out to the small town just over the trees where they had secretly parked the Thousand Sunny. "Run the perimeter of the island, maybe? I haven't had a good workout in days."

"You're predictable," Sanji said. "You're gonna get lost."

"Screw you!" Zoro snapped and dismissively waved his hand.

Zoro exited the top half of the ship. Just as he began down the steps he heard Sanji and Luffy resume their arguments about food. He saw throughout the ship that his crewmates were all bunched together. Brook, Usopp, and Franky were all near the side of the ship examining damages from the marine encounter. Robin and Nami were pointing out toward the town and discussing things he was positive would bore him.

Then he saw Chopper. Chopper was alone and sitting on the grassy deck of the ship. Outstretched before him was an open blue backpack with its contents spread out. He seemed to be examining them one by one and only glanced up when Zoro's shadow approached and blocked his direct view.

"Oh, Zoro," Chopper said while he looked up.

Chopper stared at him and Zoro found it difficult not to think of just a week prior. He had never bossed around anybody on the ship quite like he had those days where Chopper was too sick to get out of bed. He had made a fool of himself just to get people to care for their own medical problems instead of bothering the reindeer. Two days ago, he finally was able to leave the medical cabin without needing to return in a moment's notice.

"You planning on heading to town?" Zoro asked.

"Uh-huh," Chopper said. He was already standing up as he packed up the last of the bag's contents and slung it over his shoulder. "Nami already gave me the share I had for medical stuff, so I wanted to see if this town had a place I could pick some of it up."

"You uh," Zoro began before his brain could properly process what he wanted to say. "You need somebody to come with you? Just in case you…"

"I'm not gonna pass out," Chopper said with a roll of his eyes. "Jeez everybody keeps asking me that."

"Right," Zoro said.

"Wait I…" Chopper said as he raised both hooves. "I didn't mean I didn't want you to come, just if you thought you had to cause I was sick then you…"

Chopper was cut off by Zoro chuckling. A few seconds later the reindeer's own face split into a grin and he began to giggle.

It took surprisingly little time for the rest of the crew to round up and discuss their plans for exploring the island. They were set to go about their own ways and meet up back at the ship when it was dinnertime. Their path to the town was between a large palm-tree filled forest and a small beach. Chopper had transformed into his more animal-like appearance to better keep up with Zoro's longer legs.

"You know, you didn't have to come with me if you were worried about me," Chopper said. "Are you sure you didn't have anything better to do in town?"

"Will you stop doubting me?" Zoro groaned. "I'm here cause I wanna be. Got it?"

Chopper's eyes widened, and then he gave a stiff nod and spoke of the matter no further. Zoro stared down at his feet and allowed Chopper to lead him. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and kept pace.

The town was small when they finally broke through the trees and the first signs of it came into view. There were docks as far as the eye could see with ships all lined up. None had a pirate flag, though.

"Guess we made the right choice in parking the boat around the island," Chopper said.

"No marines, though," Zoro said with a shrug. He examined the size of the town. It was small, with few houses and many marketplaces. "Probably just a trading town."

"That means they have to have medical supplies!" Chopper said with a surge of excitement before picking up his pace and beginning to trot forward.

"Hey, wait!" Zoro snapped. "Don't run, dammit!"

—- - - — - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Chopper oddly found himself at ease walking through the strange and unfamiliar town with Zoro at his side. Normally even in the strangest of places it was common for him to get a strange look or two regardless of the form he chose. A reindeer was just as strange of a site as a monstrous animal-man this deep into the Grand Line. Regardless, he had spotted no glances of curiosity or befuddlement so far.

"What's that one say?" Chopper questioned as he nodded his head upward to a shelf his current form couldn't allow him to reach.

Zoro picked it up and examined the label.

"Er… Bitter Root," The swordsman said.

"Oh, get that," Chopper said. "Wow, this place has so much."

The reindeer found it difficult to keep from running his eyes over each and every shelf of rate ingredients for medicine. He would have been lucky to get a steady flow of bandages or some mild pain killers, but he had really hit the jackpot this time.

"Oooh!" Chopper said. He saw a light shade of orange just barely peeking over a shelf. It instantly caught his interest. "Look look!"

Zoro went to the bottle and picked it up. Inside were several flakes of orange each less than a centimeter thick.

"Are those sunflakes?" Chopper asked. "Oh wow! That stuff only comes from desserts. It blooms in extreme heats and is actually allergic to water! It's a total mystery in the medical field but it can be used for heat stroke effectively!"

"You want it?" Zoro asked with a smirk.

"OF COURSE!" Chopper nearly shouted.

Zoro cracked a smile and then began a steady, low sounding chuckle.

"I don't remember the last time I saw you this excited," Zoro said. "Though it'd be cuter if it were about anything other than mushrooms and herbs."

"Sh-Shut up!" Chopper said with a blush that he couldn't make leave his face once it appeared. His hips swayed slightly when he thought about the idea of Zoro thinking he was cute in any context. His heart beat fast again.

The total for the balance Nami gave them was just a few berries over the mark of what the cost came to. Everything was packed up nicely in a large bag with the sunflakes settled right on top. Already Chopper felt an excitement in his chest as he picked up the small jar and shook it gently to see the flakes crinkle and jingle about.

"Are you sure there wasn't something you wanted to do?" Chopper asked once they were back on the cobblestone street. Zoro was carrying the bag at his side lazily and shrugged his shoulders at Chopper's question.

"Not really," Zoro said.

"C'mon, I basically ate up all our time with my shopping," Chopper said. He leaned in and nudged Zoro with his body. "C'mon, we have a few berries left. There's gotta be something you want, Zoro."

Zoro placed one hand on his set of blades on his hip and made a face as though he were deep in thought.

"Chopper, I honestly ca—"

Zoro was cut off by a gasp from Chopper. A large, fat looking raindrop came down from the hazy grey sky and landed right onto the toe of the swordsman's boot. Chopper's eyes widened with fear as he looked up and realized several dozen more raindrops were quickly coming down. He heard the faintest sound of thunder in the distance rapidly closing in.

"No no no!" Chopper cried out.

Without thinking Chopper popped back into his smallest form and snatched the bag away from Zoro's hand. If he were any stronger in that form he perhaps might have knocked Zoro over with shock as he tore the bag and hugged it to his chest.

"Hey!" Zoro snapped when Chopper took off running. "Chopper!"

"Need shelter," Chopper whined as he sprinted the best his hooves could take him. He leaned down and tried to use his body as a shield for the contents of the bag as he spotted a large tree before him. It looked over three dozen feet tall with branches and leaves spreading out. Chopper ran to the tree and stopped so suddenly he nearly slammed into the ancient bark. He was panting as he fell to his knees and began frantically searching through the bag.

"Hey!" Zoro called. Chopper looked up with a tight chest to see the swordsman not far away running toward him. Once he was under the tree and out of the rain he began swearing.

"What the hell did you run off for?" Zoro asked.

"The sunflakes," Chopper said. He held up the small bottle of flakes with two delicate hooves. He saw no damage. "I think they're fine."

"Jeez!" Zoro groaned and threw his back against the tree before sliding down to the ground. "Don't freak out over some damn flakes. Scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry," Chopper said. He securely put the jar back into the bag and looked out to the rainy city with a frown. "But now it's pouring… that was fast. We were supposed to meet up with Nami and the others soon, too. Sanji'll be mad if we're late for lunch, too."

"they'll get mad at me," Zoro said. He raised his hand only to wave it dismissively to Chopper's concerns. "I doubt they'd even think of snapping at you."

"I don't want you to get yelled at either," Chopper said under his breath and crossed his arms.

Chopper watched Zoro as he outstretched his fist and gave it a small squeeze. The muscles in his damp shirt visibly tightened. Chopper approached slowly and tried to examine the areas where bandages had just recently been removed.

"Are you experiencing any muscle pain?" Chopper asked.

"No," Zoro said. "Just kind of stiff. I was starting to feel flabby."

Chopper hesitated to reach out for only a moment before reminding himself Zoro wasn't just his friend, but his patient. He settled his hoof on where the swordsman had taken the brunt of damage and pressed lightly. Chopper thought about the night in Zoro's dojo where he had passed out after yelling at the swordsman. He thought about how for the first time since he knew him Zoro stopped arguing about bandages afterwords.

"Maybe…" Chopper began as he pulled his hoof away from Zoro's chest. "Maybe you should go back to the Sunny alone. I have to stay here to guard the medicine but…"

"I'm fine right here, Chopper," Zoro said with only a moment's gaze at the reindeer. "Believe me a half hour in the rain with you isn't as bad as you think it is."

Chopper blinked and felt his face grow warm. Embarrassment crept up him until it touched the tips of his ears and he nodded slightly. Without another word he settled down next to Zoro and pulled the bag of medicine closer. Zoro didn't say anything and simply continued to stare out into the downpour and citizens running around to try and avoid it.

"Did you just wanna be quiet, or…?"

"You can talk if you want, Chopper," Zoro said.

"Right." Chopper sheepishly nodded his head. He had no clue why he suddenly found the situation so tense. He squirmed in his seat and stared down at his hooves. "Um… Why did you decide to come out here with me?"

Chopper almost instantly regretted his choice of words. Zoro gave him a glance with an unreadable expression and then proceeded to simply shrug his shoulders.

"Dunno," Zoro said. "Just wanted to stretch my legs. Beats going with that blonde ass or Nami who makes me carry everything. Why, did you think there was some special reason?"

"N-No," Chopper said and shook his head. "I just thought maybe you'd like spending time by yourself more. Normally you're not the one to come out with me. It's usually Robin or Usopp."

Chopper clicked his hoof together before folding them into his lap.

"Do you," Zoro said before letting out a long winded sigh and pressing his back more firmly to the tree bark. "Remember when you first woke up? Back after you passed out."

"Um, a little," Chopper said. "Bits and pieces, mostly. My head kinda felt like it was ringing the whole time."

"You just mentioned something right then," Zoro continued. His gaze was locked forward to the rainy town. "Something about losing us. Losing me."

"I… did?" Chopper asked. He pressed both of his hooves to the sides of his face and felt his eyes widen. Embarrassment trembled inside of him but he managed to keep it under wraps for the time being. "O-Oh."

"I didn't know you thought about that stuff, is all," Zoro said with a shrug. "I've never really listened to doctors before. I always felt like they were trying to get me not to push myself. To stay stuck where I was and be fine with that. If my body was gonna give out on me that meant I just had to push it harder to make sure it didn't happen again. You've gotten mad at me before but you never passed out cause you were so stressed about it."

Chopper found it difficult to form proper thoughts. He remembered more and more of the events of that night as Zoro spoke. They were buried deep in the back of his mind, but quickly coming to the forefront.

"Seeing something like that," Zoro said. "Something that I couldn't fight off or win against physically if they threatened my friends. It made me feel weak. It's not fair to have people taken from you when you're too stubborn thinking about your own goals."

There was something in Zoro's tone that made Chopper's ear twitch. An irritation or perhaps even regret lingering in the air. He closed his eyes for a bit, and when he finally opened them he looked down to Chopper.

"Y-You wouldn't have to worry about stupid stuff like that if you just didn't be so reckless when you fought," Chopper said quickly to hide his sheepishness.

"We both know that isn't happening," Zoro said with a smirk. "I'm gonna be stronger, and I won't let you get in my way of it. I'm gonna be the greatest swordsman, and I wouldn't trust anything less than the greatest doctor."

"You… you aren't making me happy just because you just said I was gonna be the world's greatest doctor!" Chopper snapped. He began squirming in place and covering his face to hide what little he could. "Stop trying to butter me up just so I won't make you wear your bandages so long! N-Not gonna happen, Zoro!"

Chopper felt a hand settle on top of his head. It made him stop rambling and instead look up at Zoro, who was giving a coy sort of grin that Chopper didn't think he had ever seen before.

"If you tell Sanji I was so nice to you I am gonna kick your ass, though."

"Eeh," Chopper nearly squeaked, but managed to nod his head in a yes gesture instead.

The two kept talking even as the rain became a light drizzle and eventually stopped. The sky had turned blue once more when they finally left the underside of the tree.

"We're definitely gonna get an earful from Nami," Chopper said as he glanced up toward the sky.

"It'll be faster if I run us back to the ship," Zoro said. He nodded to Chopper and patted one of his shoulders. "You wanna ride on my back."

It was the first time Chopper had hesitated with such a question. Of course he had hitched a ride on each of the strawhats at least once in one way or another. This was the first time it made him feel uncomfortable in a long time. Still, he nodded his head and allowed himself to be placed right on Zoro's shoulders.

"Settled?" Zoro asked.

"Uh-huh," Chopper responded and tried to ignore the heavy smell of the swordsman being buried into his nose. It made him feel… different than it normally did. It felt comforting, and safe instead of one of simple familiarity.

"Alright," Zoro said. "Hold tight. I'll get us back to the ship in under five minutes. That should make up for skipping training today."

"W-Wait, Zoro!" Chopper cried once Zoro began to run. "You're going the wrong way!"


	3. Past

It was long past dark when Zoro came out from the bath. The ship was quiet with little but the sway of the ocean and breezy winds to hear. In the distance, likely the opposite side of the ship, he could hear the gentle sound of a violin. Brook was playing a soft melody on his night watch.

"Nice night," Zoro commented with a glance to the sky. It showed little sign of the storm a few days prior. He rubbed his towel over his damp green hair and walked down the ship's side. The ocean was quiet even though the sail above was strong and full. Brook's music was getting quieter the closer he got to the opposite end of the boat.

Then, Zoro spotted in the faint light provided by the moon a glimmer of pink. It caught his attention quickly. Up at the top of the stairs he had already begun to climb he saw Chopper wrapped in a blue blanket with his head up toward the sky. He was leaning against the railing of the ship, though he didn't seem to be asleep.

Before Zoro could think of what to say he ascended the final step and it creaked. Chopper's fur visibly stood on end as he whipped his head around. His gaze relaxed at the sight of the swordsman.

"Zoro," Chopper said. "What're you doing up?"

"I should be asking that," Zoro replied.

"N-Nothing," Chopper said with a hint of sheepishness that told Zoro he wasn't being entirely truthful.

Zoro approached where Chopper had found to curl up. It was a nice tuck in the corner of the ship where the breeze wasn't too strong, yet the view of the ocean and sky wasn't obstructed by either of the masts.

"Sometimes I just like to look at the stars," Chopper said. He was staring down with the brim of his hat obscuring a read of his emotions. "Nobody else is really awake when they're out this bright, though."

"You wanna be alone?" Zoro asked.

"Did you wanna talk?" Chopper asked, and looked up again.

Zoro shrugged, but then Chopper giggled and patted his hoof down to the area beside him. Zoro took the opening and seated himself down next to Chopper. Chopper then unwound the blanket from his body and held it out to the swordsman.

"You can have this," Chopper said. "My fur keeps me warm enough."

"Oh, uh, thanks," Zoro said. His hands were holding the blanket before he could think of an excuse to release it. He decided the wind was annoying him and to wrap it around his shoulders. It was clearly too small for him, but hearing Chopper giggle once it was on his body made it feel a little less silly.

"What are you looking at the sky for?" Zoro questioned. "Is there some kinda meteor shower tonight?"

"No, I don't think so," Chopper said with a shrug. "It's just… well, on my island you could never really see the stars. Well, you could, but only the bright ones."

Zoro looked up. It was so dark there seemed to be countless stars. He tried to imagine less but the sheer vastness of them that flooded his eyes made that difficult to imagine.

"It was always snowing," Chopper said. "So the clouds were thick most of the year. Even when it was clear out the next storm was almost always coming. But sometimes you could see them like this. Maybe only once or twice a year… That was about the only time Doctorine was more lax about studying."

"Hmm," Zoro said. "I don't see anything special."

"It's stupid, I know," Chopper said. He stared down at his hooves instead of the sky.

"I didn't say that," Zoro said quickly. "Just… where I grew up stars like this were normal, I guess."

Chopper looked up at Zoro with a sudden look of curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

"You grew up outside of the Grand Line, right?" Chopper asked.

"Yeah," Zoro said with a nod. "Not much like you see out here. I can't really remember much about it, though. I forgot how to get there a long time ago."

"You forgot how to go home?" Chopper asked. "That's not actually all that surprising."

"What's that supposed to mean, furball?" Zoro asked with a side-eyed glare.

"N-Nothing!" Chopper said quickly. Just when it looked like he might quiet down Zoro placed a hand on the very top of his hat and let out a chuckle.

"If you were anybody else I'd kick your ass for that joke," Zoro said. "I'll just let you off with a warning this time."

"Mmm," Chopper made a noise, and when he looked up to Zoro the swordsman could swear his cheeks were a faint pink. "But, what do you remember about your home?"

"Well, it was just normal," Zoro said. "Four seasons. Big Island. Real big community kind of a thing. It wasn't much my style. I got out as soon as I was old enough to start taking on bounties."

"Did you learn how to be a swordsman there?" Chopper asked.

Zoro hesitated, and set his hand right on one of the three blades on his side.

"Yeah," Zoro said. "Most of the kids did. I'm grateful for my training there, but I don't ever see much of a reason to try to find my way back."

Chopper looked down. He seemed to be thinking, but Zoro was unable to read his face. He reached out his hand and set it on Chopper's back. He felt the reindeer tense and then loosen. Then, he did something unexpected and leaned his weight into Zoro's side. The top of his hat just barely came up to Zoro's armpit.

"Why do you ask?" Zoro pressed on. "You thinking of finally ditching us and going back to your island?"

"I'd never do that," Chopper said. His voice shifted tonally, and he became very serious. Zoro could feel his small hoof reach for and squeeze at the side of his shirt.

Zoro hesitated, and then he reached down and rubbed the palm of his hand against the back of Chopper's head.

"Sorry," Zoro said. "Didn't mean to strike a nerve there."

"It's fine," Chopper said. Despite his words he only gripped Zoro's shirt tighter and stared down at his hooves. "Luffy told me once that the reason you joined his crew was because he saved your life, right?"

"Something like that," Zoro continued. "He basically blackmailed me."

"Would you have… Would you have still joined him if he didn't do that?" Chopper asked.

Zoro let out a long sigh and looked up to the sky. The top of his head bumped against the side of the ship as he examined the stars.

"Probably not," Zoro said. "But right now this crew is still taking me down the path to being the greatest swordsman alive. I made the best choice for myself at the time, and that's what matters. Nothing has happened to stop me from getting stronger."

"Mmm," Chopper made a noise and squirmed a bit. "You sound so cool when you talk like that, Zoro."

Zoro chuckled and rubbed Chopper's head a little rougher until the reindeer began to giggle. Then he quieted down as Zoro removed his hand and settled his head against the swordsman's side once again.

"I was scared to join the crew," Chopper said. "Scared I was making the wrong choice. That… None of you would accept me."

Chopper became still as he spoke. His words were serious and cold.

"But, you're all my friends now," Chopper said. "And I've never had that before. If I stayed on that island I… I think I might have died there before anybody stopped being afraid of me. I'd just be some freak monster everybody was afraid of."

Chopper lifted a hoof and rubbed at his face. Zoro caught a glimpse when he looked up. He wasn't crying, but his eyes seemed to be more glistening than usual.

"Sorry," Chopper said. "I didn't mean to sound so serious."

Zoro gave a quick glance around and then let out a weary sigh. With one movement of his arm he swept Chopper up off the space next to him and plopped the small reindeer into his lap so Chopper's back was pressed to his belly. Chopper squeaked in surprise upon being moved but otherwise remained entirely silent as Zoro wrapped his arms around Chopper's front and rested his chin on the top of his hat.

"This whole crew's a bunch of freaks," Zoro said. "I think you know that."

"Y-Yeah," Chopper said. His voice was quiet and full of nerves from the way Zoro was suddenly handling him. He squirmed, but only a little, as Zoro's arms were strong as steel and made movement difficult.

"Whatever happened on that island when you were growing up," Zoro began. "It made you into who you are today, right? You're happy today when you're with me and the crew, right?"

"I am," Chopper said, his voice gaining a bit of power as he nodded his head.

"Good," Zoro said. He rested the flat of his palm over Chopper's chest and ran his fingers through the thick fur. Chopper tensed up, but eventually loosened and allowed Zoro to soothe him. "I like you how you are. You're a good doctor. You've saved my life way too many times."

"Y-You can't just say that kind of stuff," Chopper said. He was trying to squirm a bit more desperately this time. "Don't just say weird things cause you think I feel bad!"

"You better keep it down," Zoro threatened with the deepest chuckle he could do. "Cause if anybody finds out I'm holding you like this cause you won't settle down I'll kick your ass."

Chopper instantly shut up, which only made Zoro chuckle more. Normally he wouldn't be caught dead being so nice to anybody. Still, holding Chopper the way he was felt alright. He was soft to the touch and had a warmth come off his body that kept Zoro from shivering even with the blanket.

"You're not thinking all this stupid shit because of what happened when you got sick, right?" Zoro asked.

Chopper didn't answer. Zoro allowed the rustling of the ocean wind to flood his ears as he collected his thoughts.

"You know feelings aren't really my strong suit, Doc," Zoro said, but gave the small furry body in his lap a quick squeeze despite his words. "I really don't wanna give you the wrong advice and make you feel worse."

"I don't want you to tell me what to do," Chopper said. "I just… feel better when you're around lately."

Zoro ran his hand up Chopper's chest until the center of his palm was directly over Chopper's heart. It was irregularly fast. Chopper lifted his hooves to grip Zoro's hand tightly.

"Is that bad?" Chopper asked. His grip grew tighter. Zoro felt sudden fear in the small body in his lap.

"It's not bad," Zoro said. "You're fine, Chopper."

Chopper's body relaxed. Zoro took a moment to process the weight of the reindeer's words. People had relied on his strength in the past many, many times. Chopper's need was different than that. Chopper needed him as a friend, not a swordsman.

"Zoro?" Chopper asked.

"Hmm?" Zoro questioned.

"You won't tell anybody I was saying all this stuff, right?" Chopper questioned as he peered up into the swordsman's eyes. "I don't want the others to worry about me when they don't have to. I feel fine, really. E-Especially now after you talked to me."

Chopper turned his body so he was laying with his back pressed to Zoro's arm. He reached up a hoof and touched it to Zoro's shirt where he squeezed at the fabric. He looked up at Zoro with wide eyes that were difficult for the swordsman to look away from.

"I won't tell," Zoro said with a smirk. "Besides, I'd never hear the end of it if you let it get out I let you sit on my lap this long."

Chopper started to open his mouth but Zoro quickly grabbed the brim of his hat and pulled it down past his eyes. Chopper reached to push it back up but Zoro held his small arms to his side so he was forced to squirm and whine.

"H-Hey!" Chopper snapped, but he couldn't help himself as he turned into a giggling mess and clung tighter to Zoro. Once he settled down Zoro let him push his cap back up. Chopper settled his head to Zoro's chest with his antlers just barely out of the way.

"Do I have to move yet?" Chopper asked. "It's still kinda cold out."

"I thought you didn't need anything to keep you warm," Zoro said. His tone was already teasing.

"I-I'm worried about leaving you here, idiot," Chopper grumbled. "You'd freeze to death if I didn't watch out for you."

Zoro rolled his eyes and settled back to the side of the ship. He put his arm over Chopper and tugged him closer before looking up at the skies.

"Alright, five more minutes," Zoro said. "Just don't get your fur all over my shirt."

Chopper smiled and began to giggle as he curled up to more comfortably sit in Zoro's arms. Zoro couldn't help but feel a small flicker of warmth in his chest at that sound and the feeling of Chopper. He gave one more look over his shoulder to make sure nobody was still awake. Even Brook's music had been extinguished. Soon it was only the sound of the wind, the ocean, and Chopper's breathing.

Zoro looked down after a few more moments. Chopper's eyes were closed. When the swordsman touched his cheek he didn't respond with anything more than a twitch of the nose. Zoro sighed, and began to slowly shake his head.

"You're really gonna make me go soft," Zoro said.


	4. Scent

Chopper was finding it more and more difficult by the day to stay focused. More often than not his mind found itself drifting further and further away from itself deeper into his subconscious. He would try to study his medical textbooks or attempt to sort through what he could forge into medicine should the need for it arise, but each time he lost focus after only a few minutes.

Zoro's smell clung to the inside of his medical cabin. It smelled of metal and sweat. It was an odor familiar to Chopper, as were the scents of the rest of his crewmates. Zoro's hadn't changed in all the time he knew him, but this was the first time it had become a problem. Chopper hadn't been able to stop focusing on it. He was alway aware that it lingered around both his medical bay and throughout the entire ship.

It had only become a problem the morning after Chopper had woken up after falling asleep in Zoro's lap. He remembered warmth and the safety of Zoro's arms calmly keeping him contained. He remembered the smell then, and how it made him feel warm. Zoro must have carried him to the medical bay because he woke up in his bed, still with that bubbly feeling in his chest. When he first awoke the smell was still lingering and like a pleasant memory. The longer Chopper noticed it, however, the longer his warm feelings melded into ones of anxiety.

Chopper's nose was more sensitive than anybody's on the ship. He could tell who was near only by their smell before he even heard footsteps or the sound of their voice. It was usually a blessing, but at times like this it became a curse. It felt trapped in his nose in a way that even when he covered it with both hooves he could still smell it.

At first Chopper thought it was trapped in his fur. He had taken nearly a dozen baths without any progress in getting rid of it. Then he realized just how much of his office was coated in Zoro. The bed, the sheets, the walls, and even the floor. Zoro probably had spent more time in this medical bedroom than any of the others combined. It was just as much his bed now as it was Chopper's own.

"Ugh," Chopper whined and pressed his face down to the open book on his desk. The smell of paper only served as a blanket for the smell of Zoro still lingering in the room.

The scent had never made him feel bad. In fact, perhaps it was because it stood out so much in his mind without a negative association that it caused him grief. It made him feel light headed, and recall how he felt that night. It made him remember the warmth. He couldn't stop thinking about it if he allowed his mind to wander too much. It scared him, and he had no idea why.

"Dammit," Chopper groaned.

Something was wrong with him. Whatever it was had been wrong with him since that night.

"Maybe I'm sick," Chopper mumbled under his breath.

Chopper decided at that moment that he needed air. He couldn't stand for even a second longer to stay put, so he closed his medical books and put away all of his supplies. When he was out the door the strong smell of saltwater filled his nose. It felt like his first breath of fresh air in hours. Zoro's scent was still there, but it was so overwhelmed by all the other smells of his crewmates and the ocean at large that Chopper hardly noticed without concentrating.

"This is dummmmb," Chopper heard the whining, annoyed voice of his captain call from halfway across the ship. "Stupid fish never bite!"

Chopper walked over toward where Luffy's voice was. Soon he spotted both the captain and Usopp sitting on the railing of the ship, each with fishing rods in hand. Luffy's head was dropped, and he looked more gloomy than usual as he impatiently reeled in the wishing wire.

"You can't just reel it in without waiting for a bite," Usopp said with a disapproving tone. "I'm not just gonna do all the work for you, you know!"

Luffy cast another line. Before Chopper even heard the hook hit the water he was reeling it in once more.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Usopp snapped and hit the back of Luffy's head.

"What's going on?" Chopper asked when he got close to the two of them.

"Oh, hey Chopper," Usopp said as he turned to see the reindeer. "Nothing. We're just trying to catch some fish for dinner tonight."

"Didn't we just stock up on a bunch of food from that last island?" Chopper questioned.

"We did," Usopp said before turning to glare toward Luffy. "But somebody decided it was a good idea to eat half of that food we just bought in the middle of the night! Sanji's royally pissed and not letting Luffy eat till he catches a fish for each of us."

"It's not my fault Sanji forgot to lock the fridge!" Luffy snapped. He reeled in his line again after yet another unsuccessful cast. "ARRRRGH! I hate this hook!"

"Look will you just let the damn thing settle for a bit before reeling it in?" Usopp asked.

"I know how to fish," Luffy grumbled. "These stupid fish just don't know how to bite."

Luffy cast his line out once more, and before he could begin to reel it in again Usopp snapped out his hand and grabbed it. He looked Luffy dead in the eyes, and Luffy responded with a groan and then lowered his head to sit there gloomily with his hook peacefully in the water.

"Have you caught anything yet?" Chopper questioned.

"Three fish," Usopp said. "Sanji took them to the freezer already. All caught by me, thankfully. Y'know, one of them was so big I had to wrestle it once I finally got it on the ship! That sucker couldn't stay down! Luckily, I—"

Chopper's attention span was instantly cut off. A familiar scent entered his nose and his head turned almost on instinct. He was able to spot Zoro instantly climbing down from the ladder of his dojo. It made his heart beat faster, and a bit of anger rise that his body had reacted so instinctively to that smell.

"Mmm," Chopper whined and covered his nose with both hooves before forcing himself to turn away from Zoro. Even the scent of everything else on the ship wasn't strong enough if Zoro was actually on the deck, it seemed.

"Hey, you alright?" Usopp questioned upon noticing Chopper's expression and posture. "We don't reek of fish that bad, do we?"

Before Chopper could think of a suitable response without sounding insane for the true reason, Luffy started shouting.

"HEY!" Luffy cried out. It was sudden enough to startle both Chopper and Usopp. "I-I have something!"

"Reel it in you idiot!" Usopp snapped.

Chopper saw that Luffy's fishing rod was bending extremely fast. Whatever was on the other end of the line must have been strong, for Luffy looked as though he were struggling just to pull at it.

"Come on you dumb fish!" Luffy shouted. "Just come on so I can eat you!"

With one powerful swing of his arms Luffy yanked up the fishing rod. A streak of red three times the size of Chopper's small body flew upward right above their heads and slammed down directly behind them onto the grassy deck. It was heavy enough for the weight of it to pull Luffy right off of the rail and fall backward onto the deck.

"Holy crap!" Usopp shouted.

Chopper turned to look at the monster Luffy had caught. The sight of it made his entire body tingle and he jumped away with a squeak of fear as seven large tendrils began flailing wildly about.

"You caught a freaking squid?" Usopp snapped. "Holy crap that thing is huge!"

"Aweeeesome!" Luffy yelled. He rolled himself upright onto all fours and began crawling towards the flailing animal.

"Luffy!" Chopper yelled. "Don't…!"

But it was too late. Luffy had reached out and grabbed one of the massive, slimy tendrils on the monster squid. Before any of the three could move a massive burst of blank ink shot out. It was wide and thick. Chopper felt it hit his body and instantly soak his fur. He heard Usopp scream and Luffy begin to laugh hysterically. Chopper couldn't see, but he heard a clack of metal. When he finally managed to crack open one of his eyes he spotted a sword lodged directly into the head of the once flailing, now very dead, squid.

"Do you always have to make a mess?" Zoro groaned once he pulled his sword free of the squid's head.

Chopper rubbed away the ink from one of his eyes. He looked down at his body to realize most of it was dripping in black ink. The same went for Usopp and Luffy. Zoro had suffered a bit of damage when he had run up to kill it, though being on the opposite side it had been mostly contained to his pants and shoes.

"Gross gross gross gross," Usopp whined as he desperately tried get the ink off his body by shaking his arms.

"Oooh, it's sticky!" Luffy said as he scraped a large glob of the stuff off his shoulder. He outstretched his hand to Usopp. "Usopp, look! Touch it!"

"I AM TOUCHING IT!" Usopp yelled. "EVERY PART OF ME IS TOUCHING IT!"

"Will you two stop yelling and wash yourselves off?" Zoro said.

After a bit of more bickering Usopp had managed to convince Luffy to follow him toward the bath. Chopper had attempted to follow, but due to his height the ink had hit him directly in the face. Even though he tried to wipe it from his eyes it was still difficult to keep them open.

"Hey," Zoro said. "You need help, Chopper?"

Chopper bit the inside of his cheek. He supposed the one good thing about this mess was it had suddenly become impossible to smell Zoro.

"Please," Chopper replied.

* * *

"Luffy really is an idiot," Zoro grumbled under his breath as he continued to scrub the soapy water into Chopper's fluffy back. The bathwater had once been piping hot, but it had been refilled a total of three times given that each time the ink covering the boys bodies seemed to turn it black within minutes. The water was now a murky color, and lukewarm at best. "That better be a damn good squid to be this annoying."

"Mmm," Chopper replied. His tone seemed distant as though he were deep in thought.

Both Luffy and Usopp had managed to get the ink off their bodies with a single rinse through the bath. Chopper on the other hand was stuck with it clinging to and ruining his fur. Even after a good thirty minutes of nonstop washing the light brown tufts of fur on his body still had bits of black ink covering them.

"I might have to go ask Nami for one of her more expensive soaps," Zoro said with an irritated tone once he had run water down Chopper's back and still bits of blank ink remained. "I don't think this stuff is cutting it."

"I told you that you don't have to help me get it off," Chopper said. His voice was small. Without his hat several tufts of fur stood at the top of his head. It was one of the few places on his body not soaked in ink. "I know you probably want to train or something."

"I do things other than train, you know," Zoro said.

"Right," Chopper replied. "Sometimes you nap."

"I'm not above drowning a reindeer," Zoro threatened with a tone that made Chopper's body tense. Once he softened up again Zoro sighed and grabbed at the soap again and began to work yet again at the tougher to clean spots on Chopper's ink covered fur. The water the two of them sat in was growing darker.

"I'm just saying," Chopper tried to press on as Zoro began to run his fingers through the thick fur on the reindeer's back. "I can take care of myself. I'm sure you have better things to do."

"Will you stop trying to get rid of me?" Zoro asked. His tone came off a bit more lighthearted but deep down he was beginning to grow irritated. Chopper had said that same line about a dozen times in one way or another. "Believe it or not I actually enjoy spending time with you. You're not trying to get rid of me, are you?"

Chopper grew silent after that, which made Zoro pause in his washing. Chopper must have noticed that he had done something wrong because instantly his body tensed and he stared down into the murky water.

"Chopper?" Zoro questioned.

"Of course I'm… No, why would I?" Chopper said quickly. He stumbled over his words and began to gently swish the water back and forth with his hooves. It rippled outward to the opposite side of the large bath.

Zoro frowned. It was becoming increasingly easy for him lately to know when Chopper wasn't feeling his best. He wasn't sure how it made him feel to be able to pick up on those things so easily. It wasn't a negative feeling, but to say it was positive would be a stretch.

"I didn't do something to piss you off, did I?" Zoro asked.

"No," Chopper said. His tone was quick, but sounded honest enough. "Nothing's wrong, Zoro. I mean it."

"Cause you can talk to me if you want," Zoro pressed. "I'm not saying I can do much but listen, but…"

Zoro lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose and let his words trail off. He was irritated now. It irritated him that he was probably doing everything wrong to try and make Chopper feel better. It irritated that Chopper wasn't smiling and laughing like usual. But most of all, it irritated him because every time Chopper had been down lately it affected Zoro's mood and plagued his mind.

"It's just that I," Chopper began, but then he closed his mouth for several seconds. He squirmed a bit in place and made a noise of discomfort.

"Just that you what?" Zoro asked.

"I really like spending time with you," Chopper said. His words came out sheepishly and he seemed to sink deeper into the water. Soap bubbles went outward in a ring around his body. "I like spending time with all the others, too. With you, though, it feels different. I tell you things I don't tell anybody else and that's kind of scary."

"Hmm," Zoro ran his soapy hands over the top of Chopper head. The reindeer was still tense. Chopper's words might have been a bit sappy, but there was something Zoro heard in them that he admired. There was an honesty stronger than usual. The barrier that Chopper had, that everybody in the world had, had slipped for just a moment. Just for a moment Zoro understood Chopper perfectly. In a way it comforted the swordsman.

"Well," Zoro said. He cupped some of the murky water in his hands and let it run down Chopper's back. The reindeer shivered. "I don't exactly let Luffy or Brook sit in my lap and take a nap, do I?"

"I-I'm sorry about that," Chopper said quickly. "I didn't mean to fall asleep the other night, I just felt so comfortable and it was already late an— "

Zoro chuckled, and cut Chopper off. From this angle he could make out a faint blush on the reindeer's cheeks. It made him smile to see that, and he wasn't sure why.

"I just mean that I feel the same way," Zoro said. "Hell if I know why. If you start to worry about every little thing like that you'll just stress yourself out, Chopper. I don't really give a shit if you like spending time with me."

"I uh," Chopper started, but then paused.

"Spit it out already," Zoro said.

"I-I uh," Chopper said in a panicked tone. "I just… if you feel like that, then maybe… we could spend more time together. Doing… something."

"Something?" Zoro asked, and then chuckled.

"Don't tease me!" Chopper whined, but then was quickly silenced when Zoro rubbed his hand on top of the reindeer's head and ruffled his damp fur.

"That might be nice," Zoro said. "Doing something together."

That seemed to quiet Chopper down. He settled into the water and finally allowed his body to relax. One final soak of water in the reindeer's fur revealed Chopper's soft brown coat once more. Zoro smiled with a sense of satisfaction and clasped his hands together.

"I think I finally got all that crap out," Zoro said.

"Really?" Chopper asked. He stood up in the water and examined his body. Zoro saw no more traces of the squid's ink. The smile Chopper had on his face was something that made Zoro's chest feel awfully warm. He didn't hate the feeling, so he allowed it to linger as he smiled back at Chopper.

"You should go back to whatever you were doing," Zoro said. "I'm gonna drain all this ink crap out of the tub."

"Are you sure?" Chopper asked. "could help if you want."

"A few minutes ago you were dying to get rid of me," Zoro teased.

Chopper blushed, but it was followed by a sheepish giggle.

"Just go. I'll catch up with you later, alright?"

Chopper smiled, and nodded his head in agreement. Just as he began to climb out of the tub and Zoro sunk deeper into the water he felt a sudden pull on his body. He looked down to see Chopper clinging to his side with both of his small arms wrapped around Zoro's body the best he could do. They were short enough where he couldn't give the swordsman a proper hug.

"Thanks, Zoro," Chopper said. "For helping get the stuff out and… the other thing."

"Jeez," Zoro grumbled, but still settled his hand on Chopper's back and gave him a quick squeeze. "You're such a softie sometimes."

Chopper giggled and didn't bother to argue. Once he had said goodbye and exited the bath Zoro was left alone. He let out a long sigh and hunched over to stare at his reflection in the gaps of bubbly, murky water. Chopper's smile stuck in his mind for an uncomfortably long time. That same feeling he had been unable to process before hit him again. Thinking about it too long made his head hurt, so he forced it out of his mind and got to work at draining the tub.

The water left quickly. Soon the white tiles of the bath were visible once more and all the dirty, soapy water was gone. Zoro got up with a stretch and began to walk toward the exit to grab a towel. As he was drying himself off he gathered up his clothes which he had thrown just outside the door. His pants were stained with ink. He began to grab for his shirt before he realized it wasn't there.

"The hell?" Zoro asked. He pushed his shoes aside along with his swords but he didn't see any sight of his white shirt. He thought that maybe Luffy or Usopp took it so it could be washed to get the ink out, but it didn't make sense why they would leave his pants which had actually been dirty behind.

"Whatever," Zoro grumbled under his breath. He didn't have time to waste thinking about small matters. It wasn't like it was his only shirt.

* * *

Chopper knew it was wrong, but he had done it regardless. He had stopped at least three times on the walk back to his medical cabin. He considered undoing what he had done, but each time he convinced himself to keep walking. When he finally had gotten back into his cabin he made sure the door was shut behind him and locked it tightly.

"What's wrong with me?" Chopper grumbled under his breath as he reached under his hat and pulled out the white cloth. The smell of it was overwhelming to his animal nose and made his entire body tingle. Zoro's shirt was actually in his hands, and now that he wasn't covered in ink and soap the scent of the swordsman was flooding his system once more.

Chopper hesitated as he crawled to his bed and laid out the shirt. His heart was pounding, and he didn't know why. He didn't know why he had taken the shirt, only that he stuffed it under his hat before he could think. He picked it up slowly with both hooves as though it were delicate. His arms felt like they might start trembling, so he laid down on his side.

Finally, he brought the shirt directly to his face and buried his nose in it. The smell of Zoro was strong and he started to giggle helplessly. He felt bubbly and embarrassed and strangely happy all at the same time. He pushed away the anxiety of the strange, alien feelings he had earlier that day and tried to allow himself to simply enjoy what he knew he wanted.

"Mhmhm," Chopper giggled through muffled breaths.

Chopper knew he was being weird. He knew that if Zoro caught him he wouldn't ever be able to explain why he had done it. Chopper couldn't even explain it to himself. But… it made him happy. He was so happy to give into temptation and allow his animal instincts to bury Zoro's scent deep into his memory. He curled up in the bed as best he could and wrapped the shirt in his arms. He began to wonder what him and Zoro would do for the unspecific plans they had made together. He wondered if Zoro would hate him if he saw what he was doing right now.

Chopper told himself he wasn't going to keep the shirt for long, and that he would return it by putting it in the wash with the rest of the ships clothes. He just wanted it for a few minutes, or even for the night. He wanted to stop worrying why he enjoyed it so much and simply indulge his animalistic desire.

Despite his worries; Chopper had never been happier.


	5. Strength

"Okay, now breathe in," Chopper said. "Slowly this time."

Zoro did as he was told to do, though he had to admit he was starting to feel the tiniest bit silly. Sweat beat down from his forehead and his heart pounded quick in his chest. He had discarded his shirt long ago given just how overheated this particular work out had made him. He felt the cool touch of Chopper's stethoscope run along his chest and then against his back. Once the reindeer pulled it away he reached out to his notebook to scribble a few things down.

"You know," Zoro said with a smirk. "When you said you wanted to spend more time with me, I thought you meant outside of my dojo."

"I'm not just gonna pry you away from your training," Chopper said with a quick glance up from his notes. He was smiling in a genuine sort of way that told Zoro he was enjoying himself. "Besides, I know I can help you this way."

Zoro sighed. He decided it wasn't worth the effort to try and explain yet again to Chopper it wouldn't kill him to pry himself away from his own personal efforts every once in a while. The reindeer had practically begged on this being the way they spend their time together. Zoro found it easier not to complain, as he hadn't seen any signs to show that Chopper was unhappy for the past week of this routine.

"You were able to do ten more lifts in a minute this time," Chopper said. "But your heart rate also shot up way more. That's good progress, but I'm worried you might be pushing yourself a little too hard."

"Who's to say I wasn't just trying to show off for you, Doc?" Zoro said with a smirk.

"This isn't a competition to woo me," Chopper grumbled. He was in full doctor-mode now and without the normal sense of glee and bubbly nature. "If you push your body like that too often it'll only hurt your progress in the long run. It's not bad in small doses, bu—"

Zoro outstretched his hand and tapped his finger directly over Chopper's blue nose. The reindeer was cut off instantly and instead cried out in surprise and fell back onto his butt.

"What did you do that for?" Chopper whined as he began to rub his backside.

"You were rambling again," Zoro said with a chuckle. "I still don't get what the point of all these tests are. I train, I get stronger. Easy as that."

"I know you're not that dumb, Zoro," Chopper said as he got back to his feet and shook his head. "Do you never listen to me when I explain why you shouldn't push yourself after you get hurt?"

Zoro was quiet, and the two stared at each other for a solid ten seconds of silence.

"Nevermind," Chopper said. "I don't wanna hear that answer."

"You get kinda pissy when you're talking to me like a patient, huh?" Zoro asked and smirked at the reindeer.

"I'm only doing it because I have your best interest in mind," Chopper said. "Doctorine taught me that it's better to be cruel for your patient's health rather than to be soft and let them get even worse. I know you're not sick or hurt right now, but that still applies."

Zoro couldn't help but find himself respecting Chopper more for those words. It was honest, and blunt. A simple rule he had taught himself solely for the care of others. Zoro had never taken the time to realize just how much thought he put into every aspect of his work as a doctor.

"Okay, okay," Zoro said and threw up his hands in resignation. "What's next?"

"Um, right," Chopper flipped a few pages in his notebook. He seemed a little taken aback, as though he had expected to argue with Zoro longer about the importance of his words. He quickly regained his composure. Zoro stared at the focused look on his face. He admired that more and more with each day they did this. "Well, I don't really have anything else major in mind. I guess just whatever you want to do next is fine."

"Hmm," Zoro considered and looked around the dojo. He had practically lifted every weight inside of the place that day alone. "Wish we were at a damn island so I could go for a run."

"Run?" Chopper asked with a raised brow. "Right, I guess you do that sometimes."

"Pure strength isn't enough to get me where I need to go," Zoro said. "If I don't have endurance and speed to back that strength up then I might as well give up now."

"That's… surprisingly level headed for you, Zoro," Chopper said.

"What do you mean surprisingly?" Zoro asked with an irritated glare toward Chopper. The reindeer's eyes widened and he made a squeaking noise of fear before quickly shaking his head.

"Nothing," Chopper said quickly before averting his eyes.

"When's the last time you did anything like this?" Zoro asked.

"Hmm?" Chopper looked up again and then considered it. "I uh… I dunno? A few weeks ago, maybe? I mostly focus on my medicine."

Zoro gave a smirk and then got up to his feet. Chopper starred up as Zoro went to the opposite side of the room and then set down a weight about half the size of the one the swordsman had been using prior.

"What do you say?" Zoro asked. "Up for training with me?"

"Me?" Chopper asked. He looked at the weight. Currently it was about half the size of his body, but if he were to transform into his more human-like appearance then it would serve no problem for him.

"Look, I'm not gonna stand around and have you staring at me as I'm doing all the heavy lifting here," Zoro said. "You wanted to help me? I'm gonna help you learn how to train. That way if your notes suddenly help me out I won't feel like you owe me anything."

"Are you sure you want me to?" Chopper asked. He set aside his notes hesitantly and got up to his hooves. "I mean, I don't wanna get in your way."

"Just hurry up and get on with it," Zoro said. "And stretch before you pick that damn thing up."

Chopper found himself smiling. He nodded his head and quickly transformed into his larger human-like appearance. He was just a hair taller than Zoro now, but the swordsman smiled on with a look of authority.

"Alright!" Chopper said, and held his arms above his head to give them a quick flex. "Let's train, Zoro!"

"Okay," Zoro said. "Now that you have your game face on, let's get to work."

* * *

Chopper's body hurt. Nearly twenty-four hours had passed since his work out session with Zoro, and even as it ended he knew his body would ache the following day. Just about every muscle of his ached. Zoro had pushed him far past what he had previously thought his limits had been, yet not once did Chopper feel as though he was at his end. He couldn't stop smiling at the memory, and how Zoro had told him he had done a good job when they had finished.

"Hehe," Chopper giggled to himself and swung his legs freely off his chair. He was sitting at his desk with his medical book open before him. He was finding it difficult to focus on his work without his mind drifting to Zoro. He was happy, and it was still difficult for him to put into words what he felt, but he had long since regarded the feeling as a bad one.

Chopper was humming to himself one of Brook's slower songs when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," Chopper said.

The door cracked open, and without even realizing it Chopper expected it to be Zoro on the other side. Instead he saw Robin's face as she peeked her head into the door. Chopper felt his shoulders slump slightly, but he retained a smile on his face.

"Oh, hey, Robin," Chopper said.

"Good morning," Robin said with a coy grin on her face.

"Are you feeling alright?" Chopper asked. He hopped up to his seat so he could quickly scan her body.

"I'm feeling fine," Robin said. "I was actually hoping I could have that book I lent you back."

"Oh," Chopper said. His eyes widened. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot about that! I-I think I have it over here…"

Before Chopper could even finish turning his body he saw out of the corner of his eye one of Robin's hands sprout from the wall to retrieve a small book from a stack of many. The hand gave it to Chopper, who in turn handed it back to Robin with a sheepish giggle.

"No worries," Robin said, and then gave a subtle chuckle of her own. "May I ask what you wanted this for?"

"Oh, uh," Chopper blinked and stared at the book he had just given back to Robin. It was a nonfiction book regarding stories and techniques of swordsman long past through ages of history. "It's uh… nothing, really."

"Planning on fighting Zoro for this crew's swordsman?" Robin asked with a sly grin.

"No way," Chopper giggled. "Actually, I just wanted it… Because I uh…"

Chopper trailed off and slowly sat back down in his chair. He stared down at the floor and realized how difficult it was to put his thoughts into words without sounding insane.

Robin lifted a brow, and then by using her devil fruit powers slowly shut the door to the medical cabin so the two of them would not be disturbed. She sat herself down on the foot of the bed and crossed her legs. Wordlessly she had somehow managed to start a conversation with that action alone. Chopper let out a sigh and decided it best to just attempt to explain it.

"I wanted to read it for Zoro," Chopper said.

"Hmm," Robin gave a slight nod of her head. "Go on."

"Er…" Chopper realized his heart was growing a bit faster in pace the more he thought about it. "You know how he wants to be the greatest swordsman in the world and all. I wanted to try and understand it by myself. I wanted to see what made other swordsman so memorable and great."

"And?" Robin questioned. "Did you learn anything?"

Chopper frowned and gave a slight shake of his head.

"The more I read the more I realized I didn't know anything about swordsmanship, really. All I really have to go on is Zoro. He's strong and really cool and all, but that's all I knew," Chopper said. He looked out toward the small window in his door and then squirmed in place. "A lot of the swordsman and samurai in that book died at the end of their stories. Not natural, either. Usually dying because they met somebody who bested them."

Chopper grew quiet and looked to the ground. He could feel Robin stare at him with that usual look that was so hard to read. When he looked up she was still smiling and seemed inquisitive once more.

"You sound disappointed," Robin said.

"Mmm," Chopper made a noise, but didn't properly respond.

"I've noticed you've been spending an awful lot of time with Zoro these past few weeks," Robin said. "You two have grown awfully close awfully fast."

"We were always… close," Chopper said, but even he knew that was a lie. While it was true he always considered Zoro a close friend it hadn't felt nearly as intense as it was since he had fallen ill. He didn't sit around daydreaming about his time with Zoro a month ago, nor did he try to read books to understand his friend better.

"I know Zoro isn't ever going to give up his dream of being the best swordsman," Chopper said. "But… it's dangerous. Really dangerous. I always knew it was, but deep down I thought nobody could ever kill him. Some of the people in that book sounded an awful lot like him, though."

"Aren't we all at risk of suddenly dying?" Robin asked. Her smile seemed cold to Chopper yet her eyes reflected warmth.

"Of course," Chopper said. "We're pirates. We're always in trouble. Zoro's dream means he has to compete directly with other people just as strong as him. Luffy too, I guess, but…"

Chopper squirmed in his seat. The more he spoke the more he realized just how much these thoughts had been plaguing his mind.

"I want to keep him safe," Chopper said. "Even if it's only by patching him up whenever he gets hurt. I want to help him get stronger so nobody'll ever beat him, too."

After Chopper said that his eyes widened and a blush spread across his face. He sat up and stared at Robin only to realize she had started chuckling to herself.

"Wh-What's so funny?" Chopper snapped.

"Nothing," Robin said and calmed herself down. "You just seem very passionate about that endeavour. It's admirable."

Chopper's blush faded slowly but the pounding of his heart remained the same. It was the first time he had said both his fears and feeling about Zoro out loud. He watched Robin stand up and walk over to him only to rest her hand on the very top of his hat.

"If I were you," Robin said. "I'd let Zoro know how much you care about him."

"I care about you and the others, too," Chopper snapped, and then realized he was blushing again.

Robin smiled.

"It's different with Zoro, though, right?" Robin asked.

"I…" Chopper tried to say something to defend that notion but his words trailed off. After a moment of silence he simply shook his head. His mind felt like a jumbled mess of which he couldn't understand.

"I believe we're lucky to have such a caring doctor," Robin said before beginning to walk toward the door. "I need to get back to what I was researching, but may I give you a hint of advice?"

"What is it?" Chopper asked.

"If you're going to keep a memento of one of our crewmates in your quarters," Robin said just as she opened the door. "I suggest you find a better hiding spot than under your pillow."

Chopper's eyes shot open and his heart just about exploded at those words. He couldn't even return a goodbye wave to Robin as she exited the room and closed the door behind her. His head instantly turned to his pillow where he saw a bit of Zoro's shirt sticking out. He crawled over to it and pulled it free. His arms were shaking and heart still pounding. The scent had started to fade, but it was still there.

"Oh gosh," Chopper whined as he buried the shirt into his face. He allowed the smell of Zoro to calm him and help him think rationally. He thought about Robin's advice as he pulled the cloth from his nose and stared at it.

"Let him know how I feel," Chopper mumbled. "But I don't even know what I feel…"

Chopper laid on his side and hugged the shirt to his chest. He felt silly for letting a few thoughts make him so flustered. He felt even more annoyed that his first desire was to be near Zoro so he could forget about it.


	6. Love

Chopper debated a dozen times if he should simply turn around and head back to the safety of his medical cabin. He felt exposed and in the open as though there were eyes anywhere. If Zoro was watching him now pace nervously in front of the kitchen door Chopper didn't know what he'd think. Even as the reindeer stared down at his hooves trying to compose himself he found it difficult to keep his thoughts straight.

"He'll just ask questions," Chopper mumbled to himself. He wasn't positive if he was ready for the rest of the crew to know he felt… this way. He couldn't even think it because the idea felt so insane to him. Still, Robin's words clung to him and stayed active in the back of his mind.

The sky was an orange haze with twilight quickly approaching. Chopper paused to stare up at the sky. It'd be about an hour before dinner was ready and Chopper wouldn't get another chance until well past midnight to do what he desired. He swallowed a breath of air for courage and made his way to the kitchen.

As soon as Chopper pushed at the door he heard Sanji snap.

"I told you, Luffy, it won't be ready for an hour!" Sanji snapped. He was staring at the stove but holding a knife backwards to point at the cracked door Chopper was standing in. "And you're not getting served till last, even if you did catch the damn squid."

"Um," Chopper said, struggling to keep his voice heard above all the sizzling of the pots and pans atop the stove. "Is this a bad time?"

Sanji turned his head. A cigarette hung from his lip as he stared at Chopper.

"Oh," Sanji said. "Sorry, Chopper. I thought you were Luffy. Same goes to you too, though, if you're just gonna ask about food."

"No," Chopper said. He forced himself to take a step inside and open the door wider. "I-I wanted to talk to you, specifically."

The reindeer held his hoof over his chest and waited for Sanji to look away from the stove. Once he did he raised his curly eyebrow in curiosity.

"Sure. Close the door behind you though. The smell will waft straight to the bottom feeders," Sanji said before turning back to his dish. Chopper did as he was told and saw that a large tentacle was being diced up inside of the skillet. It was the one Luffy caught a few days prior.

"Sit down," Sanji said with a gesture toward the table.

Chopper gave a nod and made his way to the table. As he was settling in Sanji was approaching with a ladle in hand. He held it out to Chopper.

"How's this taste?" Sanji asked.

Chopper took a small sip of the broth being presented to him. It instantly warmed the reindeer's insides with a buttery, almost sweet taste. Chopper was smiling when he withdrew his muzzle.

"It's good," Chopper said.

"So, I have a few minutes before the potatoes need boiled," Sanji said as he sat down.

"I'm sorry if you're busy," Chopper said. "I knew that once dinner started you'd be busy till really late, so I thought I should come before you were finished and… nobody was around."

"It's fine," Sanji said just as he began to light one of his cigarettes. "You're not begging for food or anything. What do you want?"

Chopper smiled just a little bit to try and seem natural, but a growing twist of anxiety was pooling up in the pit of his stomach. He found it difficult to keep still, and wrapped his arms around his waist to keep from squirming.

"Well… What do you think about love?"

Chopper's face was beginning to burn. He could hardly believe those words had left his mouth. Even when he looked down he knew Sanji's eyes were boring into him. The world felt a lot quieter as the sound of sizzling continued in the background.

"Excuse me?" Sanji asked.

"I'm sorry," Chopper said suddenly. He pushed back his chair and began to violently shake his head. "Nevermind, forget I asked anyt—"

Chopper was interrupted from exiting his chair by one of Sanji's arms coming out and grabbing the back of it. The reindeer felt his entire body freeze. His breath was stuck in his throat. Under no circumstances would he want to be right here right now, yet it was himself who had set the trap. Chopper swallowed a growing lump in his throat, and Sanji just continued to stare at him.

"I thought… you were the only one I could ask," Chopper said. His voice was quiet, and he was suddenly terrified of speaking too loud in the rare chance somebody was listening from outside.

Sanji slowly removed his hand from the back of Chopper's chair. Chopper did not move and forced himself to look up. Sanji was staring away, a cigarette between his lips. He had an expression on his face that the doctor couldn't read.

"This is a little unexpected," Sanji said in a point-blank manner.

"I know," Chopper said quickly. "You… You don't have to answer."

"Shut up and let me think," Sanji grumbled before rubbing at one of his temples. After a few moments he opened his eyes and started to speak.

"Love is a feeling. It's something you can't control. You feel a connection to somebody and you don't want it to ever go away," Sanji said. He leaned further onto the table and threw Chopper a hint of a smile. "It's like friendship but on fire."

Chopper was finding it difficult to concentrate on Sanji's words through his own heart pounding so loud it echoed in the reindeer's ears. Still, he listened and nodded along to every word the cook said. He had a certain air of his tone where he was self-assured and seemed to truly believe what he was saying. Chopper felt his belly twist.

"Friendship on fire," Chopper echoed under his breath.

"That's the short of it, anyway," Sanji said. "You can't really put a concept like love into words that easily."

Chopper bit his lip and stared down at the top of the table.

"Why do you want to know, anyway?" Sanji pressed.

"No reason," Chopper said in likely the least convincing manner he could have chosen. "I… I just wanted to know."

The smell of cigarette smoke was strong in Chopper's nose. He looked up at Sanji but instantly shot his eyes away when he saw the cook's eyes stare back. He asked himself again why he had come here and why he had made himself look like an idiot just to be told what he already could have figured out for himself.

"You came to interrupt me while I was preparing dinner for the crew for no reason?" Sanji pressed. He raised his curly eyebrow and Chopper felt even more of his insides tighten.

Chopper opened his mouth and then let it close. Breathing was becoming harder by the second. He wanted to hide in his medical cabin and never come out again. He wanted Sanji to just stop looking at him. He felt his body start to tremble and his eyes sting with the threat of tears.

Then, Sanji stood up. For just a moment it snapped Chopper out of his growing panic and forced him to look up. The cook walked back to the kitchen toward the door. His hand went for the latch to properly lock it. He then went toward the fridge and took a few moments to prepare something that was blocked by his body, so Chopper couldn't see. He returned with a large glass of pink liquid and set it down in front of Chopper. The ice inside of the glass rattle together as the straw settled.

"Drink this," Sanji said. "I was gonna save it for dinner to go with the squid."

"Um, thank you," Chopper said. He took the glass and forced himself to take a sip despite the fact that his throat felt as though it were closing. It was very, very sweet.

Sanji removed the cigarette from his mouth. It was half burnt. He sat back down into his chair and leaned back to blow a cloud of smoke up toward the ceiling. When he looked down again Chopper had unconsciously swallowed a third of the drink.

"Do you want to tell me what's really bugging you?" Sanji asked.

Chopper removed his mouth from the green straw and stared down into the ice-filled cup. He was frowning, but his anxiety was a little less than it had been a few moments prior.

"I… I wanted to know something," Chopper said.

"About love?" Sanji asked.

Chopper tried to bring himself to answer audibly but found his voice to be lost once more. He settled for simply nodding his head as he sat the drink back down onto the table. Sanji was staring at him again with a look of expectancy.

"Do you think… Am I not supposed to fall in love?" Chopper asked.

Chopper felt his mouth hang open after asking his question. He forced himself to take a breath only for it to enter his lungs shakily.

"Not with a reindeer," Chopper said. His tone was so quiet that if Sanji weren't sitting so close to him he would be unable to hear it over the sounds of the kitchen. "With a… a human."

"Choppe— "

"I know I'm a reindeer!" Chopper said fast. His voice was loud when he cut off Sanji. The sting in his eyes was returning. "I… I know that. But when I think about it I don't worry about that. When I... "

Chopper realized he was crying before it was too late. He dropped his head down and pulled his hat down past his watering eyes. He was angry and upset and so many more emotions all at once. His breath came out in painful, choked gasps.

"I'm sorry," Chopper said. "I don't… I don't want to cry, I just…"

Chopper felt a hand rest on his back. He startled him enough for him to let go of his hat and allow it to bounce back up. He saw a glimpse of Sanji's outstretched arm, but the cook was looking away from him.

"What kind of a question is that?" Sanji asked. "I feel sorry for the poor bastard who isn't allowed to fall in love."

Chopper fought back the urge to start openly weeping. It took most of his strength, but still tears slipped down his cheeks. He didn't expect his own words to hit him so hard. He had spent the past several days restraining the questions in his mind that to actually unchain them and let them roam free was too much for him.

"I didn't know who else to talk to," Chopper said.

"Look," Sanji said. "Whatever made you come to me it's clearly affecting you. You and I have both seen people uglier than stuff out of fairy tales. I'm sure all of them have had people love them back. I hate to break it to you, but this deep onto the Grand Line a reindeer who talks isn't exactly the strangest thing people have seen."

"You don't think it's disgusting?" Chopper asked. "For me to… Like somebody?"

"Everybody deserves love," Sanji said. "That's just a fact, Chopper. The heart's something important, you hear? If you don't follow it you'll regret it."

Chopper placed his own hoof over his chest. He had followed his heart before, and it was the only reason he had friends now. When he had abandoned his island to become a pirate it had been his heart guiding him.

"I know you well enough to know you aren't a run of the mill animal," Sanji said. "Anybody who's spent five minutes with you would figure that out. Normal animals aren't going to cry because they're afraid of something normal like love."

Chopper sniffled and gave a slight nod of his head. It was… possibly the first time he had felt somewhat okay since Robin and him had talked.

"So?" Sanji asked. "Who is it? They've gotta be on the crew, right?"

Chopper's eyes widened and a flush formed on his cheeks.

"I-I'm not telling you!" Chopper snapped.

"C'mooon," Sanji urged with a wave of his hand. "Spill it. It's not like I'm gonna go blabbing it to them I just wanna know."

"He'd hate me if he found out I told you first!" Chopper snapped.

Instantly the room fell silent. Chopper covered his mouth with both his hooves. His heart began to pound again. He had been far too specific, and by the widening of Sanji's eyes he knew it. Sanji leaned forward with newfound curiosity.

"He?" Sanji asked. He looked both shocked and amused. Chopper only felt the effects of the ladder as he sunk into his seat. He leaned forward and stared at Chopper with a smirk twice as devious as Chopper had ever seen before. "Now I'm dying to know."


	7. Confession

Zoro couldn't sleep. He had lost track of time for just how long he had stared at the ceiling of the sleeping quarters. He didn't feel tired despite his strenuous workout just a few hours prior. His mind was restless and racing with thoughts he hardly could concentrate on.

When the cabin door opened Zoro almost breathed a sigh of relief. He sat up to see Sanji. His relief was stained a bit by the sight of the cook, but regardless he got out of bed and grabbed for his swords.

"My turn for watch?" Zoro asked.

"You're actually up?" Sanji questioned through his yawn as he stripped himself of his black jacket and necktie. "That's a shock. You're a little late, though. Chopper's already out there."

Zoro let out a long sigh. He decided regardless if it wasn't his duty he was going to lose his mind if he stayed put in the cabin for any longer.

"Screw it," Zoro said as he made his way for the door.

"It's cold out," Sanji warned as Zoro went for the door. "Hey, maybe if you ask Chopper'll cuddle you to keep you warm. I won't tattle if you do."

"Piss off," Zoro said.

The swordsman felt Sanji snicker and once again the swordsman felt a flare of irritation rise in his chest. It was at least the third time that day Sanji had made some sort of remark about Chopper. He always snickered in the same way after he finished taunting, and it was beginning to piss Zoro off. Sanji was teasing Zoro, yet the swordsman couldn't figure out why. He had taunted Zoro before about how he acted around Chopper, but it was never as ruthless as it had been the past few days.

Zoro exited the cabin only to realize Sanji hadn't been lying about the cold. His breath was visible. The sky was black and without any stars. A cloudy, dark, and cold night. Still, Zoro wasn't in the cabin anymore. His mind started to settle down and already he was feeling calm. He struggled to shake Sanji's teasing words about Chopper. The swordsman stared at his feet and wondered if he should simply avoid the reindeer if only to spite the cook. It took him only a few moments of consideration before he realized that was a stupid idea and took off in search of his friend.

It only took Zoro a few minutes to spot Chopper. The reindeer was sitting on the railing just next to the large lion head that fronted their ship. He was gazing outward toward the sea. Zoro noticed an assortment of medical books scattered behind the railing. All of them were so far unopened. He approached the reindeer cautiously, but as his last foot set down on the final step it made a loud creak. Chopper's ear twitched and the reindeer turned his head.

Zoro wasn't positive why, but seeing Chopper smile relaxed him.

"Why are you up?" Chopper asked with a giggle.

"Couldn't sleep," Zoro said. He approached Chopper with an exhausted yawn. The reindeer allowed him to run his hand under his hat and feel the fuzzy tufts of fur on his head. Instantly Zoro felt warmth come from the reindeer. His hand which had been near numb with cold was now beginning to feel again. He was reminded again of Sanji's words and pulled his hand away.

"It's not healthy for you to stay up so late," Chopper said. "Especially with how hard you trained earlier."

"I could say the same for you, furball," Zoro taunted. He leaned on the railing just beside Chopper until his elbow was almost pressed to the reindeer's side. "How's your body holding up?"

Zoro had kept up his training with Chopper for the past several days. Of course, the reindeer's body was not anywhere near Zoro's own in terms of strength. While Zoro worked out everyday Chopper had to stick to every other in order to give his body time to recover. Still, he was improving, and he never complained. Slowing himself down in order to assist Chopper made his progress slower, yet for once Zoro didn't mind as much.

"I'm fine," Chopper said. "A little sore, but it's not as bad as the first day."

"Probably means we need to work you harder," Zoro said with a taunting tone and nudged his elbow into Chopper's side. "Pretty soon all the girl reindeer are gonna be flocking to you."

Chopper's eyes widened for a brief moment at those words. Then, the reindeer looked down. He was still smiling but Zoro instantly felt as though he had said something wrong by the way the reindeer tensed up.

"Yeah," Chopper said in a small voice.

There was newfound tension in the air. The two grew silent as they both stared out into the dark. A harsh wind blew at Zoro's hair and the swordsman shivered. He watched Chopper close his eyes and then breath in slowly. He didn't seem to be affected at all by the cold or even notice it.

"Sanji's really been busting my ass about you lately," Zoro said with an annoyed tone as he tried to quickly change the topic. "He thinks I'm going soft cause I spend so much time with you or something."

Out of the corner of his eye Zoro saw Chopper tense for just a moment. He blinked and it was gone, making the swordsman think he had imagined it.

"Really?" Chopper asked in a quick, panicked voice. "Do you… think that?"

"Screw Sanji," Zoro grumbled. "You're my friend. I'll spend time with you if I want."

"Mmm," Chopper made a noise and continued to stare down. His legs were hanging off of the railing and he lightly kicked at them. Zoro watched the reindeer's face. It was difficult to read his emotions, but Zoro could tell something was on the reindeer's mind. Another cold wind blew at Zoro and his arms erupted with goosebumps. He swore under his breath and rubbed gently on his arms.

Zoro stared at Chopper, who didn't meet his eye. He watched his fur lightly sway in the wind. The swordsman decided it wasn't worth whatever game Sanji had been playing with him to attempt to keep it up and did something drastic. He wrapped his arms around Chopper from behind and tugged him close to his chest. Instantly the reindeer let out a surprised squeak but didn't seem to try and struggle away.

"Zo-Zoro?" Chopper asked.

"It's freezing," Zoro grumbled as he put his chin on top of Chopper's hat. "Do you mind?"

After a few moments of silence Chopper silently shook his head back and forth. Zoro sighed and closed his eyes. He could feel the reindeer's tense body slowly loosen. Still, his arms were warming up as well as his chest. Chopper's breathing sounded louder now that he was so close. There was something calming about it. It reminded Zoro of the hours he would spend meditating focusing on nothing but the sound of his own breath and the inner workings of his mind.

"Zoro?" Chopper asked. His voice wasn't panicked and nervous now. Instead it was calm. It didn't make Zoro want to open his eyes.

"Mmm?" Zoro responded.

"Have… Have you ever been in love?"

It was a strange question. Chopper must have known it because Zoro could feel the tension in the small body he held close. Zoro opened his eyes slowly but did not pull away from the small reindeer. He could feel Chopper's heart accelerate from his own hand pressed to the reindeer's chest.

"No," Zoro said plainly.

"Oh," Chopper said.

"I haven't thought about anything like love for all my life," Zoro said. "It would only get in the way of my swordsmanship."

"So… you don't ever want to fall in love?" Chopper asked.

There was something almost melancholy in the reindeer's voice.

"I didn't say that," Zoro said with a shrug. "I just… I dunno, I never thought about it. If I were to fall in love that'd mean I'd have to settle down eventually, right? I'd have to leave the crew. I'd have to leave… you, I guess."

"Mmm," Chopper squirmed in Zoro's arms the tiniest bit. The swordsman could tell the topic made him uncomfortable, yet still Chopper pressed himself onward. "What if you didn't have to settle down? What if… you could still be the greatest swordsman?"

"Why are you asking all of this?" Zoro asked.

Chopper grew quiet.

"Hey," Zoro said. He got up from Chopper's body slightly but still kept a hand on Chopper's back. "Don't go all quiet on me now. I'm not gonna suddenly abandon you and the crew if that's what you're worried about."

"It's not," Chopper said.

Zoro frowned, and Chopper still didn't look his way.

"I…" Chopper said after both of them had remained quiet for quite some time. "I think I'm the reason Sanji's been giving you a hard time."

Zoro finally unwound his arms from Chopper's body and stood up. Chopper still didn't turn around. He simply kept staring out to the sea. After a several long minutes he finally took in a deep breath and turned his body around. His eyes only seemed to manage to look into the swordsman's own for a few moments at a time before he lost his nerve and had to avert them.

"What are you talking about?" Zoro asked. "Sanji always is on my ass. You don't have to blame yourself fo—"

"I told him something stupid!" Chopper interrupted Zoro with a bursting confession. The reindeer's cheeks were suddenly bright pink. "I told him something stupid and… and now he keeps teasing you. He promised me he wouldn't tell anybody."

Chopper looked to be growing more upset by the moment. Tears hadn't spilled from his face yet though he clearly looked close.

"Tell anybody what?" Zoro asked.

Something in Zoro's chest grew tight at Chopper's words. He thought he had overcome fear a long time ago but the way Chopper trembled made him uneasy. The reindeer looked just about ready to burst with emotions that the swordsman had no clue if he could handle. He needed to calm Chopper down somehow, yet his mind simply felt blank when he tried to think of what he could possibly do.

"I… I want to be honest," Chopper said. "But it's scary. It's really, really scary to be honest with you, Zoro."

Zoro remained quiet as he watched Chopper run around his words. He was avoiding something big. The swordsman could tell that much just by how well he knew the reindeer. It made him feel weak to see Chopper helplessly stressed. No amount of physical strength could fix that.

"Even though I'm not a human," Chopper said slowly. "I… I care about you, Zoro. I think about you all the time lately."

Zoro could feel his hand tighten into a fist. For just a second his own breathing became caught in his throat. His mind was spinning with only one answer for where Chopper was headed yet his mind simply refused to allow him to think of the word.

In the distance Zoro saw the faintest light. It distracted him from Chopper. Out here in the middle of this dark ocean a single light illuminated in the distance.

"Which is why… I-I don't want to ruin our friendship by telling you something stupid like I have a crush on you," Chopper said just before he covered his face with his hat.

"Chopper," Zoro said. He stared at the light in the distance. It was growing closer. Why now? Why at this exact moment when Chopper was telling him something so important? The swordsman gripped his swords by the hilt as he saw a massive white sail slip out of the darkness and into view.

"Please, Zoro," Chopper said. "Don't… don't hate me. You can forget I said anything, jus—"

"Chopper!" Zoro snapped louder.

The reindeer looked up. By now tears had fallen from his face. He looked terrified and smaller than he had before. Zoro could feel his own heart pounding with a million different emotions he couldn't figure out how to process. Without word he lifted his hand and pointed out to sea.

Chopper turned just when Zoro spotted the blue anchor on the mast of the ship. The marines were approaching.

Despite everything Chopper had said Zoro couldn't allow himself to think of that now. The reindeer's words rang through his head and left him in a confused, near dizzying state. Still, all he could think about was the danger of being spotted by a marine ship this late in the night with nobody but him and Chopper awake.

"Chopper," Zoro said.

The reindeer turned back to him. Though his eyes were still wet there was a new sense of terror in them. Real fear at the sight of an enemy.

"Go get the others," Zoro said as he unsheathed his white blade and placed it into his mouth. "We have some company."


	8. Kiss

Chopper was feeling more hysterical than he could possibly remember. So many emotions were on his mind as he ran as fast as his hooves would take him. Uneasily he tripped down the last of the stairs and fell to his knees with a gasp. Pain hit him but it was only a dulling sensation for the thoughts hurting his head.

He felt shame, embarrassment, stress, worry, and fear. Nothing had time to process so simply shock and disbelief hit him. He couldn't believe this was happening now. He couldn't believe what he had even said to Zoro in the first place. He just…

Once more the reindeer got knocked down to his knees. This time it was because the ship had taken a sudden turn. Chopper looked behind him only to see Zoro spinning the wheel away from the marines.

"Ow, what the hell?" Chopper heard a woman's voice shout. His eyes shot open and he scrambled to his feet. Without hesitation he burst into the girls cabin and made about as much noise as he could in the process.

The first thing he heard was Nami's scream. He opened his eyes and saw Robin sitting up in her bed with a book in hand that she swiftly closed.

"Chopper, what the hell?" Nami yelled. "Who turned the damn ship?"

"Ma-Marines!" Chopper blurt out. "T-There's a marine ship right near us. It's a big one, too."

"Another one?" Nami snapped before jumping out of bed and grabbing her staff. There was a look of panic in her eyes.

"I'll wake the boys," Robin said, and swiftly got up and crossed her arms.

Nami ran right out of the room past Chopper. A few moments passed and Chopper heard a terrified shriek through the walls of Usopp and then Luffy. Robin had definitely pushed SOMEBODY out of one of the beds. He knew for sure now that the others were awake.

"We should go out," Robin said.

"Uh," Chopper blinked and realized he had been entirely lost in his own head. "R-Right."

Robin and Chopper left the cabin he heard the rest of the crewmembers, all seeming frantic but confused, as they poured out onto the deck.

"Shit, they're coming this way!" Franky yelled as he pointed out to sea. "Usopp, come get the canons ready with me!"

"R-Right," Usopp barked out before following Franky right below the deck.

Quickly everybody fell into their places for the tasks they all had to do. If this turned into another battle they had to decide now if they were going to try and escape or simply hope to drive off the enemies. Chopper stood frozen with his breath caught in his throat. His mind simply no longer wanted to work. He trembled and looked frantically around for something he could do to help but saw nothing.

Then the first cannon was fired. Chopper yelped in fear and saw a flash of fire in the distance. The sound was loud and echoed across the sea. In the flash of an eye Luffy jumped upward and used his body to throw the cannonball back toward the ship. Chopper saw it fly back with great force. It hit the mast of the enemy ship. Brook cried out in victory just as Luffy fell back to the deck.

"Wow, I could barely see that thing," Luffy said. "It's dark out here."

"Did you seriously just guess where it was, then?" Sanji yelled back.

"Will you two stop fighting and think of a freaking plan?" Zoro asked. He had jumped down from the front of the ship directly onto the deck and fast approached. For just a moment he made eye contact with Chopper who still stood up near the railing. His face had no emotions of the conversation that had been interrupted.

"Whatever we do we have to do it fast," Nami said. "They're really close.

Soon the marines were right on them. Chopper could feel panic override him when he heard the sound of gunshots. In the blink of an eye marines were jumping toward their ship and shooting them from higher ground.

"Dammit!" Zoro yelled before diving forward with swords in hand. Chopper watched helplessly as he dove forward.

"Help," Chopper mumbled under his breath. "I-I need to help!"

Without a moment hesitation any longer Chopper jumped over the railing. He transformed into his human-like form before his feet hit the ground. Already marine numbers were being town down by the three powerhouses of their ship, but still a few managed to slip by. Chopper ran at them and quickly tackled the nearest marines. They were quickly dispatched of and soon Chopper was met with more foes.

As he swung a punch he could recall Zoro just a few days prior showing him the proper form. His punch landed against the chest of a marine but that memory that flashed through his mind distracted him for a moment. He felt a fist connect with his face and knock him straight to the ground. A big, burly marine stood over the reindeer with gun in hand.

"You little freak!" The marine shouted.

Chopper winced. He turned himself back into his smaller brain point form as quick as he could, hoping the bullet would miss if the target was shrinking. He heard the sound of a gunshot and instantly his teeth clenched with anticipation. He expected to feel pain or even nothing at all. He heard a pained groan. Chopper opened his eyes and saw the cut-up body of the man who shot him fall to the ground. The reindeer trembled and looked up.

"Dammit," Zoro grumbled with a hand clenching his right arm. Blood trickled down to his fingertips. Between Zoro's fingers Chopper saw marks of a bullet wound. His own heart began pounding as tears welled in his eyes. "I was slow."

"What did you do?" Chopper snapped with panic dripping in his voice. He tried to get to his feet but his legs were such jelly that he ended up falling onto his knees. The realization that Zoro had jumped in front of the bullet refused to hit him. It refused to process in his mind how he was saved. His breathing came out sharp and panicked.

Zoro fell down to one knee with a grunt. Chopper forced himself up onto his hooves. Already most of the marines had collapsed and there didn't seem to be any more flooding onto the ship.

"Come one," Chopper said. Already his head spun with what to do to treat a bullet wound with little available tools. He had to get Zoro out of the open to help him. He tugged on his good arm frantically.

"I'm not leaving the others with marines on the ship," Zoro growled.

"Yes you are!" Chopper snapped back. "I'm the doctor and I'll knock you out and carry you if I have to! Luffy and the others can deal with one ship without you!"

Zoro stared at Chopper. The reindeer's burst of confidence quickly faded. However, before he could even attempt to think of how to fix the situation Zoro complied. After standing still for a quick stunned moment Chopper snapped into action. He forced Zoro into a nearby storage cabin. It was dimly lit but the moonlight was finally peaking out of the window.

"Sit down, you idiot!" Chopper said. "You're losing a lot of blood."

"I'm fine," Zoro said with another growl. Despite his words he complied with Chopper. The sound of gunfire was getting quieter outside while the sound of Luffy's laughter was growing.

"Sounds like they're winning," Chopper said with a small sigh of relief.

Zoro made another grunt. Chopper focused on his task and moved up to Zoro. As he lifted his hooves he realized he was still trembling. A moment past where he stood frozen. He was still having trouble telling his heart to stop pounding so loud. He was… scared.

"Why did you do that?" Chopper asked. "You could have been killed."

"I don't know," Zoro said. "My feet acted before my body."

Chopper bit his lip and stared down. He forced his emotions to the back of his mind and got to work temporarily using Zoro's green bandana to cut off the bleeding the best he could.

"This'll only be for ten minutes at most," Chopper said. "When it's safe I'm taking you to the medical cabin. I don't want to even try to remove that without proper lighting or tools."

"I could just cut it out," Zoro said.

"No, you can't!" Chopper snapped. "Stop trying to make yourself worse!"

After a few moments Zoro let out a long sigh and pressed the back of his head to the wooden wall. Chopper slowed his breathing and managed to, if only for a moment, find a bit of peace as he made the list in his head of what he would need the moment he got to the medical cabin.

"Are you okay?" Zoro asked before Chopper could finish his train of thought. He reached out his other arm and touched the rim of Chopper's hat with just his fingertips.

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Chopper asked. He couldn't help but laugh. He didn't even know if he found it funny but still he laughed. "I-I feel like I'm gonna rip my fur out soon. You're hurt again and being stubborn and… And now you know my big secret."

Zoro grew silent as Chopper looked to his hooves.

"Ever since I got sick," Chopper said. "And you took care of me… I never saw you act so nice before. I know you're not mean, but that was different. I felt like you… like you really cared about me. It made me think about how much I cared about you. Now the feeling just keeps feeling stronger and it's not good anymore. It's… It's scary."

Chopper felt his eyes sting. His vision was beginning to blurr. He put his hoof over his heart. It felt tight.

"Chopper," Zoro said. The reindeer winced. Zoro reached out his good arm. The reindeer felt his eyes widen when the hand of the swordsman pressed lightly to his furry cheek and rubbed. "Look, you kind of threw me for a loop when you told me. Then the whole marines thing happened. But…"

"But I'm a reindeer," Chopper interrupted. A few of his tears spilled over and hit Zoro's hand. He could feel himself tremble. He pulled away and wiped angrily at his eyes. He hated that he was crying. He knew he should have expected this. "I'm just a stupid reindeer…"

"But," Zoro pressed after a brief pause. "While I was fighting out there I… I let it all sink in. Look, I don't think about those kind of things at all. Love isn't something I'm good at. Relationships are… they've always just gotten in the way of what I wanted to do."

Chopper bit his lip and gave a slow nod of his head. He was doing everything he could to contain the tears in his system.

"Then I saw you," Zoro said. "That big… stupid marine over you. I saw him point that gun at you and I felt something in me snap. I wanted to cut his head off and show it to his men on a pike. I moved to get in front of that gun before I even thought about it."

Zoro touched his fingertips lightly to the makeshift job Chopper had done on his arm.

"My body moved before I could think. It decided how I felt before my mind could make it up, I guess."

"Mmm," Chopper felt his chest tighten with newfound hope. "Make up your mind?"

Zoro let out a long sigh and then pinched the bridge of his nose. Eventually he reached out that arm and pulled Chopper closer. The reindeer found himself stumbling until he stood up on Zoro's lap. His face was less than a foot away from the swordsman's own. The reindeer knew he was blushing.

"I'm saying as long as you don't interfere or result in me not fulfilling my goal to be the greatest swordsman," Zoro said. "I feel like I need to trust why my body moved on its own to protect you."

"Zoro…" Chopper said. His voice was beginning to grow choked up.

"You want this, right?" Zoro asked. "Whatever… this is?"

Zoro lifted his arm and put it behind Chopper's head. Their eyes met and for a moment Chopper was lost in the swordsman's. He found it difficult to speak and opted instead to give a nod of his head. Zoro smirked and Chopper felt his heart balloon up with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

"You know," Zoro said. "You're pretty cute when you smile like that, Chopper."

Chopper's first instinct was to snap at Zoro for calling him cute. However he stopped himself when he realized he didn't have to hide how that made him feel in this moment. He felt himself move closer to Zoro. He put both hooves on the Swordsman's chest.

Chopper surprised himself by being the first one to lean in. He pressed his lips up against Zoro's own. The kiss itself wasn't magical. It didn't make Chopper's heart soar. It was tense and erupt. There was nothing graceful about it. Chopper had never kissed before, and Zoro hadn't expected it at all. Still, it felt like a breath of fresh air. Chopper had been holding his breath so long that this kiss came out like a loud breath after his lungs simply couldn't take anymore. Near the end deep relief flooded the reindeer and gave way to the feelings Chopper didn't know he so desired until recently.

"Didn't expect that," Zoro said when they parted. Though his eyes were surprised he was smiling. "Uh… Damn, I guess that seals it. That uh… it wasn't half bad, Chopper."

Zoro seemed almost at a loss for words. It was alien to see the swordsman be caught so off guard.

"Zoro, I…" Chopper began. He had so much to say. So much to tell Zoro about how he felt and what he had been holding in.

Then the door burst open. Chopper jumped and turned his head on a dime to see it was Luffy who kicked it in.

"What the hell are you two in here for?" Luffy snapped. "We just fought off the marines, y'know! I took, like, seven cannon balls to the gut!"

"Zoro got shot!' Chopper said quickly as he pushed himself away from the swordsman. "I made him some here so I could treat him. B-But he needs to go to my medical office soon.

"I can walk on my own," Zoro said. He got up to his feet and clutched at his arm.

Chopper stared up at Zoro who smiled down at him. The reindeer felt his chest burst with pride.

There were still things to decide and talk about and share to come… but right now, Chopper simply wished to be happy.


	9. New Routine

"You have to keep your eyes shut," Zoro said. He put his hand over his chest. "Focus on the beating of your heart. Focus on how slow and controlled your breathing can be. Don't let your mind wander. Simply enjoy this moment of peace and solitude to collect yourself."

"Peace and solitude," Chopper said with a nod.

The reindeer was sitting cross legged in his human form in front of Zoro. He dipped his head and placed both hands on either of his knees. His head dipped slightly and Zoro smiled.

It was hard to believe that just one week ago the two had kissed. Zoro's arm had been bandaged and properly cared for and was healing up nicely. Chopper was strict about how he controlled his body, so Zoro was stuck primarily to training his lower body and meditation. Things had been different, but the swordsman didn't think that was exactly a bad thing.

Of all the difficulties that had arisen in the last week, hardly any of them had been because Chopper wasn't fully human, nor the fact that he was another man. The swordsman never had time to worry about such things. They had been slow. The jump from friendship to… whatever it was they were doing wasn't happening overnight, but it was progressing. There were things Zoro was sharing with Chopper he thought he would never speak about. There was an openness and honesty that felt refreshing. Just this morning Chopper had asked if Zoro would teach him how to meditate.

"Um," Chopper said after a few minutes had passed. "How long do you normally do this, again?"

"Usually an hour minimum," Zoro said. "Daily."

"That's a lot of time inside your own head," Chopper said with a giggle.

"It helps ground you," Zoro said. "When I push my body to the limit I have to force all of my emotions into it. The only way I can calm down normally is with meditating. Otherwise I just drain myself when I don't have to."

Chopper put his hand over his heart and then slowly morphed back into his smaller brain-point form. He looked up at a Zoro with a frown and curiosity in his eyes.

"You know," Zoro said with a chuckle. "You don't HAVE to meditate with me. It's nice enough that you're interested in knowing more about it."

"But…" Chopper started, but then closed his mouth. His cheeks lit up a hint with pink flush. "When we're together up here in your dojo it's the only time I get to spend time with you. Real time, I mean. The others don't know, after all."

It wasn't a decision the two of them had talked about to keep their budding relationship under wraps. They had both decided quite early on that neither of them knew how this was all going to turn out, so there was no point in telling the crew until they knew for certain. Zoro was still struggling to understand how he felt, even if he knew he was heading down a correct path.

Still, something in Chopper's words made the swordsman hesitate. Chopper simply wanted to spend time with him. There was a warmth building up in Zoro's chest that was unfamiliar to him. He couldn't help but smirk.

"Goddamn, Chopper, you are a massive softie," Zoro said as he began to laugh.

"No I'm not!" Chopper said in a poor attempt to defend himself.

Without another word Zoro leaned forward and snatched Chopper up for himself. He forced the reindeer back into his lap and kept laughing. Though Chopper squirmed he too started to giggle.

"Z-Zoro!" Chopper said in a fake whine.

It was rare for Zoro to show such blatant affection, even in this past week. They had kissed a few times more, and Zoro had allowed Chopper to lean against him when they joined together during their own personal night-watches. Still, there were rare times where Zoro acted in a way he only could when him and Chopper were alone.

"Shit, I think you might actually be making me go soft," Zoro said. He laid down on his back and let Chopper lay directly onto his chest. The reindeer giggled still before he looked up so the two could look into each other's eyes.

"I like when you act this way," Chopper said. He was blushing and clearly embarrassed to admit such a thing, but simply the fact that he was able to is what made Zoro continue to smile.

"Just don't expect me to give you a pet name or anything," Zoro said. He ran his hand up and down Chopper's back and allowed his fuzzy fur to run between his fingers. "Is it really that weird to see me happy?"

"Um…" Chopper said and then trailed off.

"Ass," Zoro commented before he pinched one of Chopper's cheeks. The reindeer giggled and squirmed away. Zoro closed his eyes and put back his head so it touched the floor. He rested his hand on Chopper's back and began to rub in small circles.

Zoro was actually pretty happy.

—-

Chopper still struggled to believe that the past week hadn't all been some vivid dream. The first time him and Zoro kissed his head had been spinning and the shock of the marine attack kept him dazed. It was early morning by the time Chopper had gotten all the bullet bits out of Zoro's arm and stitched him up. Once Chopper had finished fixing his friend he sat back down in his chair. He had been exhausted with his eyes hardly able to stay open. He looked up to Zoro and said only one sentence.

"Are we really going to try this together?" Chopper had asked.

"Why wouldn't we?" Zoro responded without missing a beat.

That response had stuck with Chopper for the following week. He thought of it every time a shrivel of doubt entered his mind. Whenever Zoro smiled at him from across the ship or when they took time together just to talk after their training together Chopper thought about those words. It was why for the first time in what seemed like a very long time he thought things were going to be okay between him and Zoro.

It was also why nighttime had quickly become Chopper's favorite part of the day.

Chopper expected the knock on his door to come just a stroke before midnight. Still he felt his heart race as though it came as a surprise that Zoro opened the door to his cabin. The swordsman was smiling a cocky grin.

"Hey, Zoro," Chopper giggled from his desk. He closed the book he hadn't been able to focus on.

"You ready?" Zoro asked.

Three nights a week either Zoro or Chopper were assigned with night watch. Once was always guaranteed, and the third usually alternated between them. The fine details didn't matter, because when the ship went to sleep it was their time to be together.

Chopper couldn't stop himself from giggling when Zoro let him ride on his shoulders. The swordsman had done it plenty of times in the past, but never as frequently as the past week had been. Chopper had taken for granted just how nice it felt to be so close to Zoro. He could bury his muzzle in Zoro's mossy green hair and simply enjoy the scent. He could feel Zoro's strong hand grip both of his ankles so he didn't accidently slip off.

"Quit giggling, you freak," Zoro said with a teasing tone followed by a chuckle.

"I can't help it," Chopper said.

He really couldn't help it. No matter how hard he tried he kept smiling and giggling and blushing when he was around Zoro. His body was overwhelmed with emotions if he didn't ground himself. Zoro had taunted him about it, but he didn't seem to seriously mind.

"Think Sanji'll notice if I steal some of the booze?" Zoro questioned.

"How are you gonna be on watch if you drink?" Chopper asked.

"I've got an extra set of eyes with me," Zoro said as he nudged his head into Chopper's belly. "Besides, didn't you say you like it when I loosen up a bit?"

"I… I did," Chopper said sheepishly.

Zoro chuckled and headed toward the kitchen. He cracked open the door. It was dark inside. Chopper slipped down from Zoro's shoulders and instead clung onto his back with his muzzle pressed to the swordsman's shoulders and his legs wrapped around his back for security. The swordsman took only a few steps in before he was interrupted.

"Ah, so you're the thieves."

Chopper gasped in shock and let go of Zoro. He just barely managed to land on his feet before instantly falling on his butt. He was blinded momentarily as all of the lights flicked on. Chopper heard Zoro give a very sudden, very loud swear. When his eyes adjusted to the sudden light he saw Sanji standing behind the counter with a cigarette in his hand.

"Dammit, ass, are you trying to make me cut you to ribbons?" Zoro grumbled. Chopper only noticed it now but Zoro's hand had already half unsheathed one of his swords. He put it back in place and let out a long groan. "Hiding in the dark in the middle of the night."

"Like I'd give you the chance," Sanji said with a chuckle. "You know, I thought it'd be Luffy or Usopp who was sneaking in here stealing stuff. I was gonna threaten to starve them out for a week if I caught them, but luckily for you two…"

Without warning Sanji lifted a glass bottle from behind the counter and threw it toward Zoro, who caught it without hesitation. Chopper, who had only just gotten to his hooves again, barely had time to flinch before Zoro caught it.

"Have it," Sanji said. "Stuff's cheap, anyway. If you were gonna steal from under my nose you could have at least gone for the wine."

"Your wine tastes like shit," Zoro said.

"Zoro," Chopper said with a hint of annoyance. "Stop trying to pick a fight, please."

"I'd listen to your little boyfriend if I were you," Sanji said.

Zoro tensed at that. Chopper could see it in the way Zoro held himself. His neck grew tight and his hand tightened around the handle of one of his swords. The reindeer felt his stomach twist as guilt began to set over him.

"Just cause I thought it might be you two," Sanji said. He walked around the counter and was holding a mug. He came up to Chopper and handed it over. The reindeer instantly felt his nose be overwhelmed by the smell of chocolate. "Here, Chopper. I whipped up some hot chocolate. It's pretty cold out there, right?"

"Um, yeah, a little," Chopper said as he took the mug. It was warm between his hooves. "Thanks, Sanji."

"Screw this," Zoro grumbled before turning straight toward the door. "C'mon, Chopper."

"Z-Zoro, wait!" Chopper called, but his words didn't stop the swordsman who exited quickly. Chopper frowned.

"Least he could do is say thanks," Sanji grumbled. "Prick."

"Um, sorry, Sanji," Chopper said. "I'm gonna go catch up with Zoro."

"Go, go," Sanji said with a wave of his hand. "And tell Zoro to pull the stick from his ass, would you?"

Chopper thanked Sanji once again for his drink before hurrying off. He could feel the twist in his belly grow tighter once he was outside and Zoro was nowhere in sight. He had to go up the stairway in order to find him near the wheel of the ship. He was already sitting down with the cork on his bottle of booze out. His back was facing Chopper.

"Hey," Chopper said when he drew closer. "Zoro?"

"He's always gotta be so smug about everything," Zoro grumbled. "I don't know why you told HIM of all people."

Instantly Chopper bit his lip. His stomach was knotted so tight he was having difficulty finding a breath.

"I…" The reindeer tried to speak but simply trailed off.

Zoro let out a sigh and then turned his head. He looked more tired than irritated despite the tone of his voice just a moment before.

"Hey, come here," Zoro said.

Chopper did as he was told and approached Zoro. The swordsman made space on his lap and soon the reindeer was sitting down snuggling his back to Zoro's abdomen. An arm wrapped around his front and he heard the swordsman give another sigh.

"I'm sorry I told Sanji how I felt about you," Chopper said. "I… I should have known he'd be the last person you'd want to know."

"Don't be," Zoro said. "You were just confused when you told him."

Chopper felt his stomach loosen a bit. Zoro's irritation was fading and the usual kindness he had during their watches together was quickly returning. Chopper finally took a sip of his drink. It was warm and rich with a chocolatey flavor that made his mouth water for more the instantly he stopped drinking.

"Still," Zoro said. "I swear he's always pushing me. He gives me this stupid smile whenever I see him that makes me want to cut off his stupid bangs. I didn't know why until you told me how you felt."

"Mmm," Chopper said with a slight nod. "He was nice when I told him… I tried to make him promise not to tease you, but I don't think he can help himself."

"It's fine," Zoro said as he ran his hand up and down Chopper's furry chest. "I can take whatever he tries to get under my skin with if it's for you. I seriously doubt he's gonna stoop low enough to try and blackmail us or anyth—"

"For me?" Chopper asked. He was unable to stop himself from interrupting Zoro.

"Huh?" Zoro responded.

"You said you could take whatever he said to you… for me," Chopper said. His face was growing warmer and the guilt in his belly was quickly being turned to butterflies.

"Well, yeah," Zoro said. He shrugged. "He'll get bored eventually and I really like spending time with you like this, so… You're not gonna start crying or anything, are you?"

Chopper shook his head despite the fact that his eyes stung the tiniest bit at Zoro's words. Instead he set down his mug of hot cocoa and got up on Zoro's lap. He turned and wrapped his arms around the swordsman's neck for a hug.

"Did I really say something that nice?" Zoro asked with a chuckle when he parted. "You're acting kind of sappy."

"You're just really kind, Zoro," Chopper said. He couldn't even attempt to hide his smile when he pulled from the hug. Zoro seemed a little confused, but he took the compliment regardless.

"Now if you start spreading that around I might have to be a little mad with you," Zoro said.

Chopper giggled, but was interrupted when Zoro gave him a quick kiss. It was rare for Zoro to be the one to kiss him. It wasn't because he didn't enjoy it, but simply because it wasn't in the swordsman's nature to show such outward affection. Still, it made the rare moments when he was the one to move first all the more special. Chopper's heart was pounding even when Zoro pulled away. He had both arms wrapped around Chopper now.

"You getting better at that," Zoro said. "Not as sloppy."

"I-I was never sloppy!" Chopper snapped. "If I was it's only cause I have a muzzle and you don't!"

"Stop shouting," Zoro said with a laugh as he rubbed the side of Chopper's head. "I said you were getting better, after all."

The night went on, and the two of them stayed together talking. Zoro drank a little and Chopper finished his cocoa. After a few hours the reindeer found himself lying on Zoro's lap staring up at the stars. They didn't need to talk anymore… simply being so close and enjoying each other was enough.

This was their new routine. The time they spent together felt invaluable even if their conversations were of nothing important. To be so close to Zoro and be simply allowed to indulge in everything he had been fighting against for so long… it was everything Chopper dreamed of.

"You tired yet, Chopper?" Zoro asked after some time. "You can seriously go sleep if you want. I can finish the watch on my own."

"I'm fine here," Chopper said with a smile. He snuggled closer to Zoro. "I just… like being so close to you.

Zoro rolled his eyes and once again ran his fingers through the thick fur on Chopper's chest.

"You're like a leech," Zoro said as he rolled his eyes.

Still, Zoro didn't ask Chopper to leave. Chopper had a feeling by his smile that the swordsman felt the same even if he wasn't going to say it out loud. Chopper didn't feel like he was lying anymore, to neither Zoro nor himself.

It was still a few more hours before the sun rose. Chopper wanted to stay awake for all of it. He didn't want to lose even a second of time he had alone with Zoro from here on out.


	10. Blizzard

The last thing Zoro remembered before being rudely awoken by the shrill screech of joy from his captain was putting back his head and resting his eyes. When he opened them again the sun had risen and the deck of the ship was littered with frost. He instinctively put his hand over his chest expecting the small body of Chopper to be where his hand was only to stare down and find that he was alone. His hand hit his abdomen as his eye caught sight of several long brown hairs sticking to his shirt. He brushed them off quickly as he got to his feet and rubbed his forehead.

"Did you seriously fall asleep during night watch?" Nami's voice came quickly from behind Zoro. She was glaring at him. "Jeez we coulda crashed into that island if Chopper didn't come wake us all up!"

"Oh… There's an island?" Zoro asked.

Nami gave a groan and then a dismissive wave to Zoro before turning and heading to the front of the ship. Only now that he had woken up a bit he realized that tucked around his shoulders was a blanket that he did not have when he fell asleep.

"You shouldn't make a habit of falling asleep when it's so cold out," A voice came from near Zoro's legs. He looked down to see Chopper. He was wearing his backpack and gripped it with both of his hooves. He had a bit of a teasing expression on his face.

"You're one to talk," Zoro said with a slight nudge of his foot toward Chopper. "You fell asleep an hour before me, smartass."

Chopper giggled, and Zoro had to admit the sight of it distracted him from just how chilled he felt.

"I need a real jacket," Zoro grumbled. "I'll be back in a sec."

"Oh, alright," Chopper said just as Zoro took a few steps past him. Just as he was about to turn toward the cabin Chopper followed up with a shout. "Zoro? Do you wanna explore the island together?"

"Yeah, sure thing!" Zoro shouted.

His mind instantly pictured the way Chopper probably smiled by his simple response. He hadn't even thought about agreeing, really. In a way he sort of assumed it was a given that the two would stick together.

Zoro ran a hand through his hair and let out a groan as soon as he entered the boys cabin. He looked down once more to the hairs on his chest he hadn't been able to brush off. He wondered briefly just how much longer the two could keep it under wraps if he allowed himself to be casual enough to fall asleep with Chopper laying right on his chest.

Sanji was the one Zoro would want to have told about him and Chopper right before his worst enemy. He had mocked the cook endlessly about the way he fawned over the girls and how it was both creepy and a little desperate. He had openly told Sanji on several occasions that love was so stupid to waste your time thinking about so much.

Zoro paused on the last button of a jacket he had found. He realized he had just associated Chopper with such an intense feeling. It was the first time it had crossed his mind so clearly. He groaned again and pinched at the bridge of his nose.

He thought about the night the marines attacked for a second time. His mind had gone back to it again and again. He only remembered three things vividly. Chopper, the marine, and the gun pointed at his friend. It was such an intense rush the way his body had moved. He didn't feel the pain of the bullet in his arm until the marine's body had hit the deck. He knew then, perhaps pushed by Chopper's interrupted confession, that he too had been thinking similar things about the reindeer even without noticing it.

Zoro exited the cabin swiftly. By now an island was in sight. He saw a world of white just beyond the grey cloudy sky. The cool weather they had been experiencing for days now was finally rearing its ugly head in full. He made his way up to the front of the ship where most of the crew were waiting.

"I think I see buildings," Usopp said as he raised the goggles on his hat. "Jeez, I hope there aren't any marines here."

"Me too," Chopper said. He was below Usopp staring out through the railings toward the island. "Restocking on medical supplies so soon is already gonna blow my budget."

"Hey, do you wanna do your shopping with me?" Usopp asked.

"Oh, um… Me and Zoro kind of…" Chopper said before trailing off.

"We already made plans," Zoro said. Without warning he leaned down and grabbed at Chopper. The reindeer gasped as he was suddenly put right onto Zoro's shoulders. Chopper lightly dug his hoof against Zoro's ear to express his displeasure at being picked up without warning.

"Hey, no fair calling dibs on Chopper!" Usopp snapped. "Your jacket bigger than mine!"

"Did you just want me as your personal space heater?" Chopper snapped back.

Zoro didn't give much time for the two of them to bicker back and forth before he walked away and took Chopper with him. He wrapped his arms around Zoro's head and gave a slight grumble of protest that became muffled in Zoro's hair.

—

Once the Thousand Sunny had been docked near the village it was decided that everybody was free to roam until it was time for lunch, and then return to the ship. Unlike all the others Zoro didn't take Chopper into town. Instead he took a turn toward the thick forest toward the towering mountains.

"I can walk, y'know," Chopper said after the town was out of sight and all he could see behind him was trees. He was still sitting on Zoro's shoulders. "I was sort of built for this kind of land."

"Shut up and relax," Zoro said. He tightened his grip around Chopper's ankle and drug his thumb lightly against the sole of the reindeer's hoof.

"Mhmhmhm, fine!" Chopper snapped after a few moments of clear discomfort. Zoro released his tickling finger and chuckled.

It was unlike Zoro to be so blatant and playful, even when they were alone. He must have been in an especially good mood. Chopper buried his smiling face into Zoro's mossy green hair and resisted the urge to giggle.

They walked for some time. They didn't have to talk, which made Chopper happy. He enjoyed the silence where he could simply enjoy being so close to Zoro. He was able to lose himself in the smell the swordsman gave off as well as the warmth of his touch. They were mushy, romantic thoughts that he could probably never explain out loud without at the very least blushing. Still, they were his favorite times.

"Hey, Zoro," Chopper asked after a good ten minute stretch of silence. "I've been thinking lately."

"Thinking about what?" Zoro questioned. His voice was slightly strained as the way they had been walking was beginning to go uphill.

"About… dreams," Chopper said. It felt a bit silly to say out loud but he tried to press on without showing too much sheepishness. "Your dream and my dream, specifically."

"Yeah, well what about them?" Zoro asked as he lifted a branch up to Chopper so he could guide himself out of the way as the path got thicker and more narrow.

"Well, I know you want to be the world's greatest swordsman," Chopper said. "And… I—"

"Aw, what the hell?" Zoro snapped. It cut Chopper off and made him jump. "This is just some crummy hill! Those mountains over there are way bigger!"

"Huh," Chopper said as he glanced up over Zoro's head. He could see mountains on the clear opposite side of the mountain, but none near them. "Didn't you… walk right towards them?"

"Shut up," Zoro grumbled.

Without warning Zoro hit the ground by falling onto his butt directly in the snow. Chopper gasped and was forced off. He just barely kept himself from falling flat on his face. Zoro leaned back and let out a huge groan.

"Sheesh, Nami just had to wake me up from that damn nap," Zoro grumbled.

"I told you you didn't have to carry me," Chopper said.

"Can it, deer," Zoro growled before glaring toward Chopper. "What the hell were you saying about dreams? C'mere."

"Oh, um…" Chopper felt himself be caught off guard and struggled to recover. "It's nothing important."

Zoro gave a look that Chopper read as pure skepticism, but he didn't press the reindeer. Chopper let out a quick sigh and sat down right on the snow next to Zoro. The silence they shared was nice. The wind that blew at Chopper's face felt familiar in the strangest of ways. When he closed his eyes he could forget all he had been through since he had left his island, and it was easy to imagine his old life.

"Doubt we'll be able to make it to the mountains before lunch," Zoro said with a grumble. Chopper opened his eyes and saw Zoro stare out toward the tall peaks. "At least we're finally a hell of a long ways away from the others."

Chopper blinked. He hadn't thought about it until now, but he and Zoro hadn't actually been off the ship since their decision to be together. A few weeks was a long time, and their meetings were always sparse and with fear that somebody would spot them. There were times where Chopper couldn't stand having to be so far from Zoro stealing glances from across the ship, and other times the idea of the others knowing scared him so much he'd wait until the rest of the ship had been dead for hours before sneaking off to meet with Zoro.

Chopper moved closer to Zoro until he was sitting right up beside him. He was doing his best to keep his antlers from poking into Zoro while still remaining as close as he could. Zoro stared up at the sky while Chopper lowered his head and pressed his face into Zoro's coat.

Then the first snowflake fell and landed right onto Chopper's leg. He looked up with a start as the cool liquid melted into his fur and saw a mix of grey and white clouds litter the sky. He could feel his eyes widen and heart pound. The air felt chillier than it had been just a few moments ago.

"We gotta go," Chopper said quickly before scrambling up to his feet.

"Huh?" Zoro asked with an annoyed expression. "Don't you got any sympathy to let me rest a minute before I turn into your pack mule again?"

"Zoro, I'm serious," Chopper said. "Please."

Zoro was frowning, but after a moment of staring into Chopper's eyes he simply nodded his head and got to his feet. Chopper felt a wave of relief hit him only for a moment before anxiety began to kick in. Quickly he turned himself into his reindeer form and nodded to Zoro.

"Follow me," Chopper snapped.

Zoro followed Chopper the best he could. His legs while strong and speedy weren't nearly as suited for the harsh climate like Chopper's were. It only took them about a minute of walking before it became evident that they were running out of time. Thick clumps of snow were falling down in flakes.

"The hell did all this snow come from?" Zoro asked. "It was fine just a damn second ago!"

"Look for shelter," Chopper said. His eyes scanned his surroundings quick. He was hoping he was wrong about his gut instinct, but the shape and color of those clouds were all too familiar. Quickly he spotted a large black opening of a cave about thirty feet away.

"C'mon!" Chopper said and charged again. Zoro was just barely able to keep up as they ducked into the cave. Chopper's hooves hit the cool stone and before he had even stopped running he had turned back into his regular form. Zoro was behind him and breathing quick.

Chopper turned and saw not only Zoro in the mouth of the small cave, but also a wall of pure white behind him. The snow had grown so quick so fast that he struggled to make out the trees just ten feet from the cave's mouth.

"You could've just said snowstorm," Zoro grumbled with a cough before pressing his back to the wall of the cave and sliding down to a seated position. His breath was quick. "Gave me a damn heart attack."

"Sorry," Chopper said with a bit of guilt in his tone. He approached Zoro slowly and put his hooves on the swordsman's arm. "It's a white flash. They hit really fast and really hard. I thought they only happened back on my island, but I saw all the signs a minute ago and…"

"It's fine," Zoro said before putting his hand on top of Chopper's hat. He looked back out toward the now storming outside. "We found shelter… but how long until these things normally blow over?"

"Um… a few hours," Chopper said. "Usually not more than three."

"Seriously?" Zoro groaned. "So much for making lunch."

"Just worry about staying warm, okay?" Chopper asked. "It'll be over soon, we won't starve or anything, but it's gonna get really cold soon."

"I noticed," Zoro said as he rubbed his hands up and down his sides. "You mind getting over here and sharing some of that fur?"

Chopper blinked and stared, as it took him a moment to understand what Zoro was asking for. After the swordsman gestured to his lap he got the idea.

"O-Oh, yeah, sure," Chopper said. He got close to Zoro and seated himself down on the swordsman's lap. Zoro made a noise as he wrapped an arm around Chopper's front and pulled him up to his chest. "I'm probably not all that warm with you bundled up, though."

"Are you trying to get me to take my clothes off now?" Zoro asked with a chuckle.

"I'm gonna pull my doctor card on you if you don't stop teasing me," Chopper mumbled. "It's just common knowledge that you only warm up with body heat. Your coat is too thick for me to help with that."

"If you insist," Zoro said. His tone made Chopper think he was probably rolling his eyes, but still he listened. He undid his jacket and opened the sides to put around Chopper. Soon the reindeer was pulled even closer to Zoro until his back was pressed right up to the thin shirt the swordsman wore. The scent of the swordsman from the inside of his jacket flooded Chopper with both warmth and tingling sensations.

"B-Better?" Chopper asked. His voice trembled but he tried his best not to show it.

"Better," Zoro said.

—

An hour had passed, and still the outside of the cave was thick with a blanket of white. Zoro let out a long breath as he once more tightened his grip around Chopper. His ears were beginning to feel numb, but for the most part Chopper had managed to keep him warm. Zoro had focused on controlling his breath as well as his thoughts in silence. Chopper had done his best to snuggle up inside his coat, and he stared out of the cave.

"You think the others are worried?" Chopper asked.

"Doubt it," Zoro said. "They know I wouldn't die in something like this. Plus, you're sort of built for this weather."

"Do you think they're all okay, then?" Chopper pressed.

"I heard the others talking," Zoro said. "They all said they were gonna stick to the town. They're either on the ship or huddled up in some store waiting for this to pass, I bet. Don't worry so much."

Chopper gave a slight nod of his head, yet his gaze didn't drift away from the exit of the cave.

"I used to get really scared when these hit back on Drum Island," Chopper said. His voice was quiet, and barely audible to Zoro over the rushing and violent winds outside. "Sometimes I went to try and find herbs and plants for Doctorine on my own, and one of these would hit. She always got upset with me when I finally got back. I think she was just worried."

"She was worried for a reindeer dying in the snow?" Zoro asked with a chuckle.

"It happens," Chopper said with a hint of seriousness in his tone. He glanced down again. "Normally reindeer bundle up together when they hit. The whole herd gets close and looks like one big furry blob."

"That makes it easier to wait out?" Zoro asked.

"I think so," Chopper said, though his words trailed off. He looked down away from the snow outside. "My herd didn't… I never got close to them when it stormed like this. I usually just found caves like this to hold up in."

Zoro grew quiet. Chopper rarely talked about his life before he had eaten a devil fruit. It was difficult for him to imagine Chopper as anything but what he was now, and the idea of a reindeer who couldn't speak nor understand his own words felt alien.

"Zoro?" Chopper said after a few moments of silence had passed.

"Hmm?" Zoro responded.

"Everything's gonna be different when we tell the others, isn't it?" Chopper asked.

Zoro didn't answer, not at first. He would be lying if he told Chopper no, that it would all be the same. He would also be lying if he said he hadn't thought about it, because the thought had lingered on his mind.

"Yeah," Zoro said. "It's gonna be weird for a bit."

"I thought so," Chopper said. He sounded melancholy and distant.

"It's gonna be fine," Zoro said. He ran his hand along Chopper's belly and pressed his chin down to the top of the reindeer's hat. Chopper made a noise that told Zoro he was unconvinced. There was a weight on the reindeer's shoulders that Zoro could almost feel.

"I like things how they are," Chopper said. "I like listening to Usopp tell stories and Brook play his music. I like how loud everybody gets when we're eating dinner and all trying to talk over each other. I don't feel like people stare at me the same way they did before I met all of you. I feel… happy. I don't think about how different I am as much anymore."

Chopper trailed off for just a moment.

"I don't wanna go back to hating myself like I did before," Chopper said. "You and the others all make me feel normal. I don't want that to change when they find out."

Zoro ran his hand over Chopper's chest in a circular motion. He could feel the tenseness in the reindeer's muscles throughout his entire body. Zoro shut his eyes and focused only on his breathing and the warmth of the reindeer bundled so close to him.

"You know you won't be alone when you tell them," Zoro said. "No matter how they all react I'll still be with you. I'm not gonna abandon you like that."

"I know," Chopper said. He raised his hooves and put them over Zoro's hand.

"If anybody has a problem with who I'm in a relationship with I'll slice them a new mouth to talk shit out of," Zoro said with a slight chuckle.

"Relationship?" Chopper asked. Zoro could feel the heart of the reindeer beat rapidly against his palm. "Is… Is that what we're doing?"

"Don't get all mushy on me right now," Zoro said as he ran his hand up and pulled down Chopper's hat by the brim to cover his eyes. "We still have another hour to wait out and I don't think I'm ready to have you cry on me. I'm drained on the emotional stuff for today, alright?"

"I-I wasn't gonna cry!" Chopper snapped.

"Sure," Zoro said with an unconvincing chuckle.

"I-I'm not happy just because you wanna date me, you jerk!" Chopper snapped. He was squirming in Zoro's jacket despite his words struggling to turn himself around so he could wrap his small arms the best he could around Zoro's body.

"Ass," Chopper grumbled.

"Yeah," Zoro said as he rolled his eyes and ran his hand under Chopper's hat to feel the soft hair on top of his head. "I am."

"J-Just because we're… d-dating doesn't mean I won't go sit on the other side of the cave and let you freeze," Chopper said. His words were trembling, and it was clear the happiness he felt was starting to overwhelm him.

"You know you don't have to act like you aren't happy," Zoro said with a chuckle. "It's only me here."

Chopper made a sound of annoyance, and buried his face deep into Zoro's chest where the swordsman could no longer see his face. Zoro ran his fingers through the fur on the back of the reindeer's head and smirked to himself.

"You know, you are kinda cute when you get all pissy," Zoro pressed.

"ARRRUGH!" Chopper cried out and dug his hoof into Zoro's gut. "Stop itttt!"

The reindeer wouldn't stop squirming, and it was hard for Zoro not to start laughing. Chopper tried to snap at him to knock it off, but it became quickly evident that his own happiness was about to win over and he simply settled against Zoro's chest and tried his best to hide his face so Zoro wouldn't see him smile.

At most they had a few more hours before they were able to leave the cave. Zoro let out a sigh and hugged Chopper close to him. For once he didn't care about his own affection going too far, and simply enjoyed how it made him feel.


	11. Friendship

By the time the snowstorm had passed and both Chopper and Zoro made it safely back to the ship it was far past lunch and quickly approaching dinner. The sky had cleared after the storm and now it was a faint hue of twilight. Chopper let out a sigh of relief upon counting the seven heads of the rest of his crewmates aboard the Thousand Sunny. It seemed they had been the only ones caught up in the middle of the blizzard.

"Jeez, I was starting to worry," Usopp said to Chopper once he was safely back on the ship. The two of them were near the front of the ship with Chopper sitting on the railing looking out toward the town. "Nami wanted to send out a search party. I was about to volunteer, of course, before you two came back."

"The storm came really fast," Chopper said with an apologetic tone. "If we didn't find that cave I don't know what would have happened."

"Hey, don't sweat it," Usopp said with a chuckle as he pat Chopper on the back with his gloved hand. "I thought I had bad luck being locked up on the ship without the others. You had to spend, what, four hours alone with Zoro in such a small space? What'd he do, take a nap the whole time?"

Chopper glanced behind him past Usopp and up toward Zoro's dojo. The two had split up once they had returned to the ship.

"It wasn't so bad," Chopper said.

Truthfully Chopper wouldn't have minded all that much if he were still trapped in that cave. His heart still fluttered when he thought about the fact that the two of them were in a relationship. The word seemed foreign to the reindeer, yet that made it all the more exciting. He missed the warmth and smell of Zoro's body to the point he squirmed if he thought about it too much.

"Right, I guess you two have been spending a lot of time together," Usopp said. "Guess he has more of a soft spot for you than us, huh?"

"No he doesn't," Chopper said. It was hard for him to resist smiling at Usopp's words despite his protests. "Zoro's your friend too."

"I know that," Usopp said. "But I also know I wouldn't have come back looking as happy as you did if I was the one trapped in a cave with Zoro."

"I didn't look happy," Chopper said with a slight whine to his tone. He turned and hopped off the railing of the ship. "I was just glad to be back on the ship, that's all."

"Uh huh," Usopp said with a teasing tone. He clearly didn't believe Chopper. "You were practically grinning ear to ear. What, did you find a cute reindeer or something and hit it off?"

"Don't be stupid!" Chopper said.

Usopp frowned at Chopper's response, and only then did the reindeer realize he had sounded more than a bit annoyed. The words of his friend had twisted up his belly and made whatever happiness that had been lingering inside of him fade. Again he was reminded of the secret he and Zoro shared. Usopp was one of his closest friends on the ship, and even he didn't know.

"Sorry," Usopp said. "Didn't mean to strike a cord."

"N-No," Chopper said quickly. "I'm sorry, I'm just… I haven't exactly eaten all day."

Usopp smiled at that. He seemed to take that for an acceptable answer, though it didn't stop Chopper from feeling more guilt build up in his belly.

If he was going to tell anybody else so soon, he would want it to be Usopp. Usopp had told him stories of a girl from his village whom he had strong feelings for. Chopper expected he had over exaggerated the stories of this girl, but he knew she wasn't one of his lies based on the claims of Nami, Zoro, and Luffy. Perhaps he would understand. Maybe he wouldn't treat the reindeer any different if he were to find out.

"So, if it 'wasn't so bad'" Usopp said while making quotation marks with his fingers in the air. "Just what exactly did you do in that cave?"

"Nothing, really," Chopper said as he glanced down to his hooves.

"C'moooon, you had to talk about something," Usopp said with a grin. "You can tell your buddy Usopp, can't you?"

"Um… I uh…" Chopper found it difficult to find his words. His head was spinning now and for a brief moment he wondered if Usopp would see through his lies if he tried to beat around the bush. "Me and Zoro… we uh…"

"Hey, Chopper!" A voice called his name so loud it echoed in the sky. It made the reindeer jump and all the fur on the back of his neck stand up. His heart was pounding and he didn't even realize it. He turned to spot Sanji waving to grab his attention.

"Jeez, he coulda just walked here," Usopp said as he rolled his eyes. "Doesn't gotta scare the whole ship like that."

"I-I uh, better check that out," Chopper said. The reindeer felt as though his head were spinning. It was like he had been pinched awake out of a dream and sense was starting to hit his body.

"Wait, what were you gonna ask?" Usopp called as Chopper began to take his first steps away.

"I-It was nothing!" Chopper called back without looking around so Usopp wouldn't catch a glimpse of his flushed face. "Don't worry about it!"

The reindeer didn't want to look to see if Usopp looked confused or even if he just shrugged his shoulders and accepted his words. Chopper's heart wouldn't stop pounding. He couldn't believe he had almost told Usopp on a complete whim. He should have at least talked to Zoro about it.

"Stupid," Chopper hissed under his breath.

Chopper caught up to Sanji quickly just as he shook his head to get the last negative thoughts away. The chef had moved from the doorway to the kitchen where he was quickly dicing and sizzling up what Chopper assumed to be dinner.

"You called me, Sanji?"

"Yeah," Sanji said as he pulled a large ladle free from a pot and took a long drag from his cigarette. "You and moss head missed lunch. Dinner's still gonna be a bit so I made something to tide you two over."

Chopper looked over to where Sanji nodded to see a small bundle wrapped up in cloth sitting on the table. Chopper moved closer and caught a scent that made his mouth water.

"Oh, uh, thanks," Chopper said.

Chopper wasn't about to complain about being offered food, especially considering how long it had been since he last ate, but still a twinge of hesitation popped up in his head. He couldn't help but frown as he picked up the bundle.

"Zoro's too stubborn to ask for food," Sanji said. He was in the middle of sprinkling salt into the large pot. "Besides, if you're not sick of your boyfriend up there I bet he'd like eating alone with you."

Chopper could feel his face grow warm at Sanji's comment. The way he so casually referred to Zoro as his boyfriend twisted his insides. It was a word Chopper hadn't been able to say out loud quite yet. Whenever Sanji used the word it was normally to mock Zoro, but now it seemed awfully close to the truth.

"Oh, yeah, you and Zoro might not wanna do your watch together tonight till it's really late," Sanji said. "I overheard Nami saying something about some late night visit to the town. Wouldn't want you two to get caught by her."

Chopper bit his cheek. It wasn't the first time Sanji had tried to give him some kind of warning or advice about spending time with Zoro. It only further solidified a burning question in his mind.

"Sanji?" Chopper asked. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Sanji said, not looking away from the large pot he continued to stir.

"Why do you… Is there a reason you do all of this for me and Zoro?" Chopper said.

"Do what?" Sanji asked with a chuckle. "I'm the cook, course I'm gonna feed you two if you're hungry."

"T-That's not what I mean!" Chopper said. He rose his voice without thinking about it and then wanted to shrink into the floor when Sanji looked over to him. He bit harder on his cheek and stared downward. "I know you and him don't get along. You tease him about it all the time but… you still do stuff so me and him can spend time together. L-Like the other night with the booze and hot cocoa."

Chopper glanced away. He was beginning to wonder if it was a stupid question to even bring up.

"I don't think it's a secret that I'm not fond of the guy, but I don't hate him," Sanji said with a slight shrug. He turned to Chopper and let on a teasing grin. "I'm not looking to blackmail you two if you're worried about that."

"I'm not, but you're still not giving me a reason," Chopper said. He hopped up onto a nearby chair and set the bundle he had been holding onto the counter. He stared at Sanji, and now was a bit more closer to the chef's eye level.

"Let me guess," Sanji said with a quiet chuckle. He turned around and looked at Chopper just as he was wiping his hands clean with a rag. "Did he ask you to talk to me? What, he's not man enough to talk to me himself."

"Zoro didn't ask me to do anything," Chopper said with a shake of his head. "I just… I wanted to know, that's all."

Chopper shrugged and realized he was starting to look a bit silly for asking all of these questions. He wondered if he really was just overthinking everything. Eventually Sanji moved forward and put his hand on top of Chopper's head. The reindeer looked up to see Sanji smiling a reassuring grin.

"Look, Chopper," Sanji said. "You came in here practically bawling your eyes out asking me if you should be able to fall in love."

Chopper blushed again. That evening had been a low point for him. His mind was consumed with stress about his feelings for Zoro and he felt close to losing himself in a spiral of anxiety if he thought about it for too long. Going to Sanji at the time felt right, and even though it ended up with him accidently spilling his feelings for Zoro to the chef it was still the first moment of true relief the reindeer had from those awful feelings.

"I… I wasn't bawling," Chopper mumbled. Embarrassment was catching up to him.

"I told you that you deserve love, didn't I?" Sanji asked as he raised his curly brow.

"You did," Chopper said. He couldn't help but look down. He was afraid if he looked up Sanji would read all the emotions on his face and the reindeer didn't know if he could handle that vulnerability right this moment.

"I meant it, alright?" Sanji said. He put his hand on Chopper's shoulder with a firm yet gentle grip. "The first time you fall in love is important. I can tell it's more than just a crush like you told me at first, right?"

"I-I mean…" Chopper found it difficult to find words. A lot of emotions were swelling under his surface from Sanji's kind words. Eventually he was forced to just simply nod his head.

"Thought so," Sanji said with a smirk. "Look, a bottle of booze or some extra food is the least I can do. You came to me of all people cause you were scared about love. I'm gonna take it pretty damn seriously that you trusted me with that. Now are you gonna go take my food and spend some time with your new boyfriend or are you gonna ask me dumb questions about why I want my friend to be happy?"

Chopper felt his eyes sting with a new flood of emotion. Even after as long as he had been on the ship his friends could still surprise him with just how kind they could be. It was hard for him to believe that just a few years ago friendship was a stupid dream he tried to disregard. Without thinking Chopper moved forward and hugged Sanji around his chest. The chef gasped at just how surprisingly tight the grip was given Chopper's small body.

Chopper didn't say anything for fear he might show too much emotion with trembling words. He closed his eyes to prevent his silly tears from spilling. He felt Sanji's hand rest on his back and rub gently.

"Thanks," Chopper said. It was the only word he could get out without his voice shaking.

"I'm just glad you didn't fall for one of the girls," Sanji said. "Doubt I'd be as eager to help then."

Chopper half chuckled and half restrained a sniffle as he pulled away from Sanji's hug and wiped at his face. He smiled up at the chef and felt the knots in his belly unwind. He took a moment to settle all the feelings twisted up in his belly before speaking again.

"When we tell the rest of the ship… do you think they'll be okay with us like you are?" Chopper asked.

He knew it was an unfair question to ask Sanji. Obviously the chef could see no more into the minds of his friends than Chopper could. Still, he was the only basis the reindeer had for how somebody would react.

"Course they will," Sanji said with a chuckle. "They might be a bit shocked, yeah, but you know the whole crew cares about you two... Don't tell Zoro I said that, alright?"

Chopper giggled and nodded, but then found himself frowning.

"I… I thought about telling Usopp earlier," Chopper said as he crossed his arms. "Right before you called me. I got scared, though."

"It'll come out when you two are ready," Sanji said, and gave the reindeer a nod. "Just worry about enjoying yourself and stop worrying so much, will you?"

Sanji outstretched his finger and pressed it down to Chopper's chest near his heart. The reindeer smiled. He had to resist the urge to hug Sanji once more and instead just smiled and nodded his head.

"Okay, I'll try," Chopper said. "Thanks for everything, Sanji. I… If you didn't talk to me the other day, I don't think I'd ever have been brave enough to tell Zo—"

"Jeez, are you gonna stand around talking to him or are you gonna go spend time with the guy?" Sanji asked. "If you don't go now I'm gonna puke thinking about Zoro saying anything remotely romantic with that dumb angry face he does."

Chopper giggled and felt his cheeks grow warm. Sanji was right. He needed to enjoy himself. Chopper just wanted to be near Zoro, and right now that's all he had to worry about. Telling the rest of his friends would come in time, he was sure. For now… he wanted to keep what was so special between them a secret for a little while longer. He felt reminded again just how happy he had been since the first time him and Zoro had kissed.

Everything was going to be okay. Chopper had to believe that. If he didn't, the unrelenting happiness he felt when around Zoro would soon be tarnished. For now it was enough to spend time alone together. For now, he was glad to have a friend in Sanji so all of his feelings weren't bottled up.

"Alright, I will," Chopper said as he picked up the bundle of food once more. "Thanks again, Sanji."


	12. Secret

_**Authors Note:** _There's a lot I want to say, but I also don't want to break immersion to the narrative for too long. I'm really thankful to have such a warm reception to my story. It's been a long time since I wrote these characters, nearly a decade, and right now I'm happy to tackle them with what experience I've gained over time. Chopper has always been important to me for various reasons, his early episodes showing a ton of self hate relating to my own mental health problems even back when I was a kid, ect. Also, when I first started writing him it was when I realized I myself was gay the more I wrote him with Zoro. It's always been important to me to characterize characters correctly, but it's easier if I relate to them as much as I do for the ones in my stories.

So, thank you to those who have made it this far. I hope you'll stick around.

* * *

The hot steam rising from the bathtub warmed Zoro's insides. All day he had been in blistering cold, and given tonight it was twice as worse. His Dojo was nearly as cold as the outside, unfortunately, and it was only so long before it was clear Chopper's body couldn't handle the sort of training the swordsman was expecting from him.

"You didn't have to stop just because I did," Chopper mumbled.

The reindeer was in his more humanoid form. Zoro was running his hands down his back to scrub it clean of sweat and the grime from the cave they had been trapped in earlier. It was already clear that the muscles on the reindeer's back were more defined. His arms weren't visibly bulkier, but Zoro knew that they were stronger given how he was his first day.

"It's not a big deal," Zoro said. "I'll wake up early tomorrow and make it up. How're your muscles?"

"Fine," Chopper said. Zoro could picture him giving a smile just by the tone of his voice. "I thought I was the doctor here."

"Hey, you never shut up about it when we train together," Zoro said. "Some of its gotta stick in my head. Y'know, I don't really need it but it's really good for a newbie like you."

"Hey!" Chopper snapped. "Don't be rude!"

Chopper cupped a handful of water into his hand and by tossing it over his shoulder flung it back at Zoro. The swordsman was so busy trying not to laugh that he let it hit him right in the face. Some of it went down his throat, and instantly he found himself coughing. He leaned over and grabbed his neck.

"Ah, Zoro, are you alright?" Chopper asked with an anxious tone. He turned quickly and outstretched his arms ready to help Zoro. It took a moment, but the swordsman managed to catch his breath.

"Oh, I'm gonna decorate the cabin with your antlers, buddy," Zoro said with a devious tone as his coughing fit died down. There was a wicked smirk on his face he used specifically when he was young to scare the other boys in his kendo classes. It worked just the same on Chopper as he got a terrified look in his eye.

"Wa-Wait, I didn't mean t—-"

Chopper couldn't finish his sentence before Zoro pounced forward. The reindeer let out a yelp of fear as he was pushed back directly into the tub. Zoro felt water go past his head and ears as he buried his face into Chopper's midsection. Once he rose up his head he could feel Chopper squirming and giggling with mock fright.

"I-I know you wouldn't hurt me, Zoro!" Chopper cried out.

"No," Zoro said as he shook his head like a dog to get the water from his eyes. He stared up again with that evil grin. "But I can get real damn close, deer."

Chopper squealed again. Zoro honestly had no clue what came over him in that moment. Chopper had a way of pulling out a side of him he didn't know he still had. He found himself grinning and unable to stop it.

Zoro went forward and grabbed Chopper, quickly pinning him to the opposite side of the tub. He drug his fingers down Chopper's sides and abdomen. The reindeer's eyes widened and soon he burst out in laughter.

"A-AHAHAA YOU ASS!" Chopper squealed as smacked his hands to Zoro's shoulders and chests desperately trying to pry him off.

"It's either this or I try to drown you!" Zoro said. His hands moved upward toward Chopper's armpits which he had left foolishly unprotected. By the time Zoro got his fingers in there it was too late for Chopper.

"AHHHH!" Chopper cried out and started trying to kick at Zoro.

Zoro let up quickly. Chopper threw his head back and let out a long groan and began panting.

"You're a such a jerk," Chopper whined, but still he struggled to keep from giggling. "And you're acting really weird today."

"If you were anybody else I woulda tried to drown you," Zoro said with that same evil looking expression. It quickly faded and his face softened… well, softened for Zoro at least. There was a permanent triangle between his brows due to his constant scowling. He knew it was difficult to look… less than scary. Still, he hoped Chopper could see into his eyes just how happy he felt right now. This moment, this day, and everything that had led up to it felt monumental yet still somehow like every other day.

Zoro reached out his hand to Chopper's cheek. Being close to Chopper one on one like this was about as relaxing as Zoro felt during his deepest meditation sessions. He leaned in and kissed Chopper. The reindeer responded by wrapping his arms around Zoro's midsection. Chopper was far more cuddly than Zoro, but the swordsman didn't mind. When they were alone he even found it pleasant.

Just as they parted lips Chopper had a big grin on his face. Though it was short lived, because after a moment he frowned and gazed down.

"I wish one of us had watch tonight," Chopper mumbled.

"What, aren't you sick of me yet?" Zoro asked. "You've been clinging to me all day."

"No," Chopper said. "I… I mean, are you?"

"Don't be a dumbass," Zoro said, and lightly proaded Chopper's chest. "I know how you feel, though. I can't sleep worth a damn at night anymore cause half the week I'm up with you."

"Me either," Chopper said. He morphed back into his smaller reindeer form. Now the water went up to his chest standing on the small ledge of the large tub. "A few days ago I fell asleep right after breakfast."

"You know we don't have to be in separate cabins tonight, Chopper," Zoro said. "It's not hard to sneak off to yours."

"Really?" Chopper asked. He was trying very clearly to suppress his smile.

"Why the hell not?" Zoro asked with a shrug.

"Well… okay, then," Chopper said. He squirmed and the water rippled around him. "If you're fine wi—"

Zoro paused with his hand outstretched going toward the reindeer's face. He heard the faintest sound of moment on the other side of the bathroom door. Chopper's ear twitched, which Zoro took to mean he had noticed it as well. With swift movement Zoro sat down on the ledge of the tub just as the door opened.

"Oh, you two are still in here?"

It was Luffy. Their captain was standing there with a towel wrapped around his waist. Usopp was quick to follow behind him. He pushed past Luffy and gave a gasp as he rubbed his hands up and down his arms.

"Jeez it's cold!" Usopp snapped. "Please be warm please be warm..."

Usopp abandoned his towel on the floor before jumping right into the massive tub of steaming water. The sound he made out was euphoric before he relaxed. He settled into the tub to the point only his long nose stuck out of the water. When he rose again Luffy had closed the door and was making his way out as well. He took one step in and then looked at both Zoro and Chopper.

"Hey, Chopper, you alright?" Luffy asked. "You look pretty red."

"Ah," Chopper let out a small yelp of surprise once he was addressed. Zoro looked down to him and saw that Chopper's cheeks were indeed flushed. "U-Um, it must be the water… I-I think I've been in too long."

"Me too," Zoro said quickly before standing up as well. "You two aren't very relaxing to be around."

"Oh, and Chopper's fur clogging the drain is soooo relaxing?" Usopp asked. He had emerged from the water and was currently squeezing at his long curly hair.

"My fur doesn't clog the drains!" Chopper snapped back at Usopp.

Zoro let out a chuckle as he picked up a towel and began to dry himself off. Chopper and Usopp had begun to snap insults back and forth while Luffy laughed at the two of them. Zoro saw Chopper make the first move and kick a hoof of water toward Usopp, who screeched and then ducked under the water to avoid it.

It was clear to the swordsman that if he didn't leave soon he was going to get wrapped up in the mess. Chopper had already fallen victim, seeing as how Usopp was splashing water at him at rapid speeds. Zoro rolled his eyes and made his way silently to the exit. Closing the door behind him cut off the playful yelling of the three boys and left him in silence.

Zoro was quick to dress himself. He gathered his things and made his way back to the deck of the ship. As he slipped on his jacket he was given a whiff of the overwhelming smell of Chopper from when the two had been bundled so close in the cave. It made him smile, and he was suddenly glad to be alone.

Outside was colder than Zoro remembered. The icy winds blew at his damp hair and caused a chill to run up his spine. He blew into his hands to keep them warm and then buried them into his pockets. It was late, and the only lights Zoro saw came from the island town they were still docked at. The sky above was littered with stars and the only sounds Zoro heard were that of the ship swaying on the ocean.

The swordsman seated himself at the top of one of the staircases. He let out a long sigh and then a chuckle. His heart was still struggling to calm down from when he had been interrupted by both Luffy and Usopp. If they had come inside just a few seconds later Zoro might have let their secret slip. He remembered his hand going out ready to take Chopper's face and kiss him. It would be a hell of a way for it to come out. He doubted even his thick skulled captain wouldn't be able to understand what it meant if he saw it so blatantly.

Zoro thought he had always been ready for the others to know, but still his heart was struggling to stop pounding.

"Something troubling you?"

Zoro looked up quickly when he heard the voice. He saw nobody, but recognized the tone instantly.

"Do you want something, Robin?" Zoro asked before getting to his feet.

Stepping out from under the deck, Robin had been leaned up against the crook between the staircase and the second level. She withdrew from the shadows with a blanket around her shoulder. Zoro met her eye between the staircase railing.

"Spying?" Zoro asked.

Robin gave a light chuckle.

"You just sat down. Who would I be spying on?"

"Good point," Zoro said with a shrug. He let out a groaned and cocked his head up toward the sky. After that massive blizzard earlier the sky was now clear. It was like nothing happened if he didn't look down.

"It's awfully cold," Robin said. "I thought you might've headed in by now. Unless, of course, you're waiting for somebody."

Zoro took a swift but subtle sideways glance to Robin. She was smiling, but Zoro couldn't read her eyes.

"No," Zoro said flatly. "I was just getting some ai—"

"Zoooorrrrrooo!"

Zoro felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up upon hearing Chopper's voice. He looked behind him swiftly to see the reindeer with an annoyed and exhausted expression on his face. Before Zoro could open his mouth to warn him the reindeer crashed against the swordsman's back. He wrapped his arms around him the best he could and let out a long sigh.

"Usopp tripped and got hurt. I told him to wait in the medical cabin, so it might be a bit before we can meet up for tonight," Chopper said. "Sorry."

"Ch-Chopper, I," Zoro said. His heart was actually pounding now.

"Well then, what was that about waiting for somebody?" Robin said. She was giving off a teasing chuckle now. Upon hearing her Chopper's body tensed up and he jumped off of Zoro's back with lively energy.

"O-Oh, hey Robin!" Chopper said. His face was hot crimson now upon spotting Robin near the bottom of the stairs. "Um, I-I was gonna lend Zoro some medicine to make sure nothing bad happened in the cave earlier, that's all!"

"Don't say 'that's all', moron," Zoro hissed under his breath. "She didn't even ask you what you meant yet!"

The two of them were interrupted by Robin giving the two of them a smile. Perhaps because he was simply not thinking or because it felt right to do so, he reached back his arm and put it on Chopper's side. He pulled the reindeer closer. Chopper gave a light gasp and nearly stumbled into the swordsman, but he didn't try to pull away and simply settled.

"Zoro?" Chopper asked in a hushed tone.

Zoro didn't reply. He looked at Robin head on. She gave a light chuckle before turning her eyes.

"Alright, I see you're not meeting anybody," Robin said as she turned her head and began to walk away from the two. She stared an extra moment, but not at Zoro. The swordsman realized quickly it was directed at Chopper. "Have a nice night."

The two watched, dumbfounded as Robin turned to walk away up to the other side of the ship. Once she was a good distance away Zoro let out a breath he hadn't fully realized he was holding. Chopper pulled back from the light embrace and stared up at Zoro.

"What was that about?" Chopper asked.

"I don't know," Zoro said. He stared at Robin until she was out of sight.

"You don't think she knows anything, do you?" Chopper asked. He gripped Zoro's side tightly.

Zoro could tell Chopper was trying to keep his voice strong. Though his words didn't tremble nor did he trip over his words, Zoro simply was able to tell he was masking his fear. Zoro laid his hand on Chopper's back.

"Doubt it," Zoro said, though he knew his words could stand to sound a bit more secure in his conviction. Robin had asked him specifically if he was waiting for Chopper. "Look, it's been a long ass day, Chopper. Go fix up Usopp and then we can just relax together, alright?"

"Okay," Chopper said. He gave a slow nod of his head but did not look up to Zoro. Instead he stared out toward the direction Robin had left, and only when Zoro ran his hand under the reindeer's hat did he look up. His eyes betrayed anxiety for just a moment before he was able to mask it. "You'll come quick, right?"

"I'll come as soon as the coast is clear," Zoro said. "Hurry up if you're so eager to see me again, furball."

Chopper gave a quick nod of his head and showed Zoro one of the smiles the swordsman loved to see. It was of genuine excitement at the prospect of spending time together. Zoro found it reflected on his face as well the moment Chopper turned and began to head down the stairs.

"I'll finish up quick!" Chopper called before running off in the direction of his medical cabin.

* * *

Zoro kept to the shadows for the better part of an hour. Usopp was in and out of Chopper's cabin in less than half an hour with a hand covered in bandages, but he gave it another fifteen minutes to assure that nobody would see him. It was already late, and the moon in the sky was the only light that illuminated the ship's exterior aside from a small circle of light in the doorway window to Chopper's cabin.

The chilled air was finally beginning to get to Zoo. He breathed out one last frosty bit of air before he got to his feet. The only thing he wanted right now was to rest, and to do so with Chopper.

Zoro approached the door and lifted his hand to knock. He paused when he caught a glimpse of Chopper in the window sitting at his desk. The reindeer wasn't looking at him. His head was pointed down but Zoro didn't see a book. There was a somber expression lingering on his face that made Zoro hesitate. Instead of knocking and risk somebody hearing he chose instead to simply turn the handle.

"Mmm?" Chopper looked up with a start. "Is it clear already?"

The melancholy look on his face softened upon seeing Zoro. He smiled, and that simple act made the swordsman feel warmth expand in his chest. That was happening more often lately. Zoro shut the door behind him and was glad to find out that the small room was far warmer than outside.

"Course it is," Zoro said. He unbuttoned his jacket and let it fall to the floor as he let out a groan. His fingers and ears were red and stinging with the bite of the cold outside, as well as his toes inside his shoes. "Colder than one of Nami's glares out there."

"You coulda waited someplace warmer, you dummy," Chopper said. His tone was teasing, but there was that little touch of his usual doctor tone sneaking into his words.

"Shut up, furball," Zoro said. He reached out and pushed Chopper's hat down past his eyes. The reindeer giggled and pushed it back up just as Zoro let his weight carry him down until he crashed on the edge of the bed. "It's hard to forget I gotta keep warm when there's this annoying mound of fur always clinging to my back."

"Very funny," Chopper said as he rolled his eyes

Chopper pushed off of his desk and allowed his wheeled chair to roll across the tiled floor until he was close to Zoro. He hopped off onto the bed and landed with near perfect accuracy to let his body fall right against Zoro's side. He wrapped his arms around the swordsman as best he could and buried his face into Zoro's body.

"I'm glad you're here," Chopper said in a quiet voice.

A bit of that somber tone was breaking into the reindeer's voice. Zoro put his hand on Chopper's back and tugged at him until he was pulled up to sit in his lap. Chopper sat with his side pressing to Zoro's abdomen and his legs touching the bed by hanging off of Zoro's lap. After a moment of minor adjustment to keep Chopper's horns from poking his body too much both the swordsman and doctor settled down.

"You alright?" Zoro asked.

"Uh-huh," Chopper said and gave a slight nod of his head. Zoro couldn't see any of his face past the tip of his blue nose over the pink rim of his hat. "I… I was thinking about Robin."

Zoro had been afraid of that. Though it was true his own suspicions were high he didn't want Chopper to overthink it too much. He ran his hand up and down Chopper's side. The reindeer seemed to melt more into his side.

"I think it's my fault if she knows," Chopper said. His voice was quiet and lingering with shame.

"What are you talking about?" Zoro asked. He saw Chopper's head gaze upward so their eyes could meet. He hadn't seen a look so clearly full of shame on Chopper's face since the night of his confession where he had been terrified of Zoro's rejection.

"A few weeks ago," Chopper said. He reached up his hoof and touched Zoro's chest right over where his heart lay. "I asked to borrow this one book from her. When she came to get it back I… We talked for a bit. I said some stupid things, and I… I think she guessed I wasn't just talking about you as a friend."

Chopper clamped his mouth shut by biting his lip.

Zoro let out a long sigh and then proceeded to pinch the bridge of his nose. Before he could even think of what to say Chopper started rambling again.

"I'm stupid," Chopper said under his breath. "She told me to tell you how I felt… I thought she just meant how glad I was you were my friend. I didn't even want to admit then how I felt about you."

"Stop beating yourself up," Zoro said. "If she knows, then she knows. There's nothing we can do about it."

"But I…"

"Chopper," Zoro snapped, probably a bit too harshly, to interrupt the rambling reindeer. Chopper both jumped and then tensed in his lap. Again he lowered his cap so Zoro couldn't see his eyes. Zoro let out a long sigh and eventually pulled at Chopper's cap until it came off his head. The reindeer tensed and shut his eyes, but Zoro could see the faint spots of dark fur under his eyes where a few tears had spilled. He reached out as gently as he could muster and pushed up Chopper's chin until the reindeer opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Chopper said. He wiped at his eyes with the backs of his hooves and sniffled quietly. "I don't wanna act like a crybaby in front of you."

"You are kind of a crybaby, though," Zoro said. He smirked and gently stroked the tufts of fur on Chopper's chest that stuck out. "Look, calm yourself down. It's gonna be okay. Remember how I explained meditating? Just try breathing like that for a bit."

Chopper gave a nod of his head and took Zoro's advice. He closed his eyes and allowed his breath to flow in and out. It was quick at first, but he swiftly remembered what Zoro had taught him and got on the right track. With each breath inward the reindeer's shaking settled down, and after a few minutes he opened his eyes and they were no longer wet with tears.

"There," Zoro said. "Better?"

"A little," Chopper said. He smiled at Zoro, though his eyes still had a hint of pain in them. "I'm sorry I freaked out."

"It's alright," Zoro said. He ran his hand against Chopper's cheek and lightly squeezed. "Just… Look, this is gonna sound selfish. But for my sake, can you try not to beat yourself up so much?"

"Your sake?" Chopper asked. He looked up with curious eyes. "Why is it selfish?"

"I…" Zoro paused. He supposed there was no point in masking his feelings, especially around Chopper. He laid his palm flat against Chopper's chest. "I don't like how I feel when you get down like this. I feel… really powerless. If somebody was hurting you and making you cry I could just kick their ass. Watching you be like this, though, it really sucks. I can't help you when you're like this… not like you need."

Zoro tightened his hand into a fist when he pulled it away from Chopper's chest. There was an irritation building up in his chest that was difficult to ignore. He hated beyond reason admitting the slightest bit of weakness inside of him. Even admitting it to Chopper the words came out clunky and wrong.

"You're nicer than you think of yourself," Chopper said. He reached up his hoof and touched Zoro's heart once more with a gentle poke of his hooves. "You still try… even if you don't know how exactly I can tell you're trying. I know I'm not… I know you're not good at this stuff, but I don't want anybody but you listen lately."

Chopper's words made Zoro feel that tightness in his chest once more. Before Chopper Zoro had rarely felt the need to show such blatant compassion, physically or verbally, but the reindeer had changed that. Zoro gave a light chuckle and took Chopper's hoof in his hand.

"Thought I was supposed to be making you feel better?" Zoro said. "When the hell did you turn this around?"

"You're my boyfriend, right?" Chopper asked. "I'm supposed to look out for you too, you know."

Chopper's smile triggered something in Zoro. It was hard for Zoro to resist the urge to kiss Chopper, so he didn't bother. The reindeer must have been surprised because just before their lips touched he gasped. He lifted Chopper from his seated position until he could squeeze the reindeer against his chest. The tips of his hooves just barely touched Zoro's lap. It felt longer than usual. Normally, one of them would pull away. Either Chopper would become self conscious or Zoro would be fearful he heard a noise and the kiss would end before it spiraled too far. Tonight, however, Zoro didn't want to part from Chopper.

They didn't have to think about Robin tonight, or what would happen tomorrow. As far as Zoro was concerned the universe stopped existing outside of the cabin the two were in.

Almost without thinking, Zoro ran his hand down Chopper's chest, and when he got down to Chopper's belly button he didn't stop.

"Zoro, I..." Chopper said quietly when their lips parted. Zoro buried his face against Chopper's neck. He sounded nervous, and instantly Zoro removed his hand.

"Too fast?" Zoro asked with a voice muffled by fur.

"No, but I… I mean, I've never…" Chopper started and then trailed off his words a few times. Eventually he closed his eyes and took in a few deep, slow breaths as he had before. Zoro undid his tight grip and let Chopper stand on his lap with his arms still loosely wrapped around the reindeer.

"You really want me like that?" Chopper asked. He didn't meet Zoro's eyes for more than a moment before flicking them away. His tone sounded almost as one of disbelief. It was as if he had never considered this an option for the two of them."

"I sort of assumed it would get here eventually, yeah," Zoro said. "If you're scared, we can…"

"I-I wanna!" Chopper said quickly. Instantly his face turned pink and he buried his face in his hooves. "I mean… We can try, if you want."

Zoro smiled. Chopper's nervousness only lended to that same animalistic desire the swordsman had felt a moment ago. The bed was small, but Zoro had worked with worse before. He kissed Chopper right on his cheek. It felt warm, and the reindeer began to giggle the way he did when he was nervous and didn't know how else to react. It made Zoro want him more.

"Please tell me your door has a lock," Zoro said.


	13. Pillow Talk

It was late into the night, and Chopper wondered for the dozenth time that night if he was dreaming. Everything about his current situation felt like something out of a really, really pleasant dream. Chopper's body was pressed to the bare skin of Zoro's chest as he drug his hoof gently up and down the large scar that marked Zoro's chest. The swordsman had his right arm up behind his head while his left kept Chopper pressed to his side. The reindeer had always admired the body of the swordsman either in admiration or lust, but he had never had the courage to gawk and run his hooves over Zoro's chest as he was now.

"The bed isn't too small, is it?" Chopper asked. He glanced up at Zoro. The swordsman's eyes were shut, and he had been quiet enough for so long that Chopper wouldn't be surprised if he had fallen asleep. "I know it isn't really big enough for two people."

"You're only three feet tall in."" Zoro said. He opened his eyes and ran his hand down Chopper's back. His fingers gently touched the base of the reindeer's small tail. It was an alien sensation, but not unpleasant given how Zoro's fingers were being unusually delicate. "And that's about the third time you've asked if I feel alright."

"I know," Chopper said in a meek tone. "I want you to be comfortable, though. I know my horns make being close like this kinda awkward."

"Your horns are fine," Zoro said. "Your pillow talk could use some work, though."

"Sorry," Chopper said before following up his apology with a giggle. The reindeer had been riding the high of his time with Zoro for the past thirty minutes, and it didn't show signs of fading anytime soon. Zoro's smell, his touch, and the warmth of his body pressed to Chopper's all were intoxicating to the reindeer. "Speaking of that, did I… Um, did I do okay?"

Chopper had been afraid to hope for this night to come, but when he had in the past he had always pictured it a certain way. He expected Zoro to be rough and not much for affection when it came to bedroom antics. In his head Chopper imagined a concentration similar to when Zoro lifted his near comically sized weights.

That hadn't been the case. Zoro was firm, and no less strong than Chopper had imagined, but he had a control that the reindeer couldn't help but admire. He was slow, and constantly made sure Chopper was alright with whatever was thrown at him before going too far. Zoro wasn't afraid to crack a joke or pause to laugh in a way that was refreshingly soft for the swordsman. Chopper found his nerves couldn't get the best of him because his focus was entirely on just how much he enjoyed being with Zoro. Though now that it was over, his mind was starting to overthink.

"You did fine," Zoro said. He reached out his hand and pinched Chopper's cheek. "You honestly think I'm gonna say you sucked? Well, I mean… you did. Not like that, though."

"Oh my gosh! Shut up!" Chopper snapped as he batted away Zoro's hand from his face. It was hard for him to feel angry for even a moment before he broke down into a fit of giggling and had to bury his face against Zoro's chest.

"It's too easy to make fun of you," Zoro said before quickly wrapping Chopper in his arms. The reindeer was pressed against Zoro's chest as the swordsman turned onto his side and took Chopper with him. Chopper couldn't even pretend to be mad long enough before his arms moved on their own and wrapped around Zoro's neck to hug him back. The swordsman eventually let him go and propped himself up by resting his head on his hand. He ran his fingers up Chopper's chest and up the side of Chopper's face until his fingers were right behind the reindeer's ears where he began to lightly scratch. "You're like a needy puppy, you know that? Always need to be told he's a good boy."

"Ass," Chopper said under his breath.

Of course, the reindeer didn't dare move his head despite the swordsman's dog comment. He wasn't about to deny how good it felt. Besides, Zoro smiling down at him only made the reindeer happier.

"I'd do tonight all over again if I could. That's how good you did," Zoro said. "Now please don't make me say any other mushy crap or I might puke."

It was hard for the reindeer to stop smiling. Even when his face began to hurt he simply couldn't help himself. All of this felt like a dream in one way or another, but Zoro's pleasant smell and the touch of his firm hands scratching behind Chopper's ears were far too powerful for that to be the case. This was real, and it was all Chopper's to indulge in. The reindeer kept his eyes shut and let the warm feeling bubbling inside his chest wash over him.

"Wanna know something really silly?" Chopper asked after a brief spell of silence.

"What's that?" Zoro asked.

"I… You have to promise not to get upset," Chopper said.

The reindeer sat up slowly. Zoro was giving him a side eyed look now with one of his brows raised in question.

"Okay," Zoro said. His tone was clearly uneasy. "I won't get upset. What is it?"

"Well… Um… A few weeks ago, I did something I'm not proud of," Chopper said. He looked down to his hooves and began to gently click them together. "I took something from you without asking. I uh… I never gave it back, either."

Chopper felt his heart pick up in speed upon admitting those words. Zoro was still giving him that quizzical look, which only made Chopper begin to regret opening his mouth. Wordlessly he slipped off the bed and began rummaging around underneath. It only took him a moment to locate Zoro's shirt, which he promptly tossed up onto the bed. Zoro caught it with one hand before it could land and stared at it briefly.

"This is…"

"The day Luffy caught that squid," Chopper interrupted. "When you helped me get all that ink out of my fur."

"Alright?" Zoro asked. He glanced up. He didn't seem angry, which gave Chopper at least a hint of relief. If anything he seemed confused. "I kinda just thought one of the others took it to mess with me. Why exactly do you have this?"

"I uh…" Chopper climbed back onto the bed slowly and then sat down. He let out a long sigh as he fiddled with his hooves. "It was pretty soon after I started to realize how I felt about you. I was scared to be around you because it was so distracting."

"I was distracting?" Zoro asked. There was a hint of a chuckle on his face but he still seemed lost. "What, like you couldn't take your eyes off me? If this is flirting it's a really weird way to do it, Chopper."

"Not you, exactly," Chopper said as he put both of his hooves against his nose and squeezed. "Your smell, mostly."

"My… Smell?" Zoro asked. He looked to Chopper and then to the shirt. He briefly pressed it to his nose and inhaled deeply. When he pulled his face away he only looked more confused than before.

"Yeah," Chopper said. He nodded his head slowly and then crossed his arms. "It made me feel really off. Like, I couldn't focus or work because wherever I went it was so overpoweringly you."

"Are you telling me I stink?" Zoro asked.

"No!" Chopper replied back quickly. "It's not like that! It's… It's more like that kind of feeling animals get when they try to mate. Y'know… Pheromones and stuff."

"Phera… moans?" Zoro asked. He still had his brow raised even when he set the shirt down. There was a look of humor spreading across his face, though. The sight of it made Chopper's cheeks begin to feel warm. "Wait, like I smelled like a deer wanting to mate?"

"No," Chopper said again. He gave another shake of his head. "That's what I wanted. I wanted to give it back, but that'd mean explaining why I took it. I was scared you'd get freaked out. I couldn't talk to anybody about it."

Chopper squirmed in place. His face wasn't cooling down.

"And you're not scared anymore?" Zoro asked.

"I'm embarrassed," Chopper mumbled before speaking up. "But not scared, no. I… I realized pretty fast how my body reacted to being around you. Animals don't really think about romance. They just mate. Some of what's left of me from when I was just a reindeer acted up around you and I couldn't stop it. I thought… I thought if you knew you'd think I was disgusting. But tonight you… You made the first move. You wanted me and… You knowing I wanted you back doesn't scare me anymore."

Zoro looked at Chopper for the longest time. It was probably only a few moments, but to the anxious deer it felt an eternity.

"You're really weird sometimes, you know that?" Zoro asked.

Before Chopper could even think to reply Zoro moved down. He scooped the reindeer up in his arms and collapsed onto the bed with his head on the pillow. Chopper gave a light gasp as Zoro let out a long groan of exhaustion.

"You're not mad?" Chopper asked.

"No, not really," Zoro said. "I'd never actually get pissed at you over something like that. Did you seriously think I would?"

"No," Chopper said. He buried his face into Zoro's bare chest. The sensation of skin against his blue nose felt alien, but not bad. "It's just still sometimes hard to believe you actually like me back. I guess I didn't fully believe it until… well, tonight."

"Not even when I asked if you wanted to be my boyfriend?" Zoro asked with a chuckle.

"That… helped," Chopper said. Every time Zoro said that word it made Chopper's heart flutter, and now was no different. Zoro's teasing laugh wasn't helping the reindeer's persistent blush. "It feels kinda like I've been holding my breath since I told you how I felt. I keep expecting this bubble to pop and for all of it to go away."

"You really suck at just knowing when to enjoy yourself," Zoro said.

Chopper knew Zoro was right, but he didn't want to admit it. It was impossible for him to stop worrying about what was around every corner. Even now tucked into Zoro's arms happier than he could possibly be there was part of him worried about the unseeable future. It wasn't going to ever go away entirely… but right now, Chopper was okay with that. He could manage, especially with Zoro at his side.

"What do I smell like, anyway?" Zoro asked.

"Huh?"

"Well, you had to be turned on by something," Zoro asked with a smirk. "What was it?"

"D-Do you have to say 'turned on' like that?" Chopper grumbled.

"Only if you keep getting annoyed by it," Zoro said as he ran his fingers over Chopper's ear teasingly.

"Ugh," Chopper groaned. He did, however, close his eyes and take extra care to pay attention to Zoro's scent. "I guess… it's kind of like metal? Probably from all your weights and caring for your blades. Your sweat's kinda unique, too. I guess not really strong, but it blends well. Oh, and a lot of seawater. Everybody on the ship kinda smells like that, though."

"How… romantic," Zoro said.

"It's not like it's supposed to be flattering," Chopper said under his breath. "It's just… I like it cause it's your smell."

"Hmm," Zoro seemed to think about it for a moment. Then, without warning he buried his face down against Chopper's neck. The reindeer felt his body tense as Zoro's entire face was soon pressing to his chest. Zoro held his sides and soon the reindeer was on his back with a good deal of Zoro's weight pressing down on top of him.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Chopper asked.

"Seeing what the big fuss about scent is about with you," Zoro said. "Now shut up, I can't think."

"You really don't have to try and get it," Chopper mumbled. "I know it's not normal."

"I said shut up," Zoro pressed. He sounded more annoyed now, so Chopper bit his tongue and simply allowed the swordsman. He simply allowed Zoro to do his own thing. After a few moments Zoro lifted his head and stared at Chopper once he was finished.

"Well?" Chopper asked.

"You smell kinda like cotton," Zoro said. "Plus a lot of those medicines you're always messing around with. There's some kinda sugary smell there, too, but I don't know what. Just kind of a sweet scent under it all. It's not bad, though."

"I know it won't make you feel the same way it does for me," Chopper said as he glanced away and up to the door. It was getting harder to look at Zoro in the eye. "It's my reindeer half, not the human one."

"I know that," Zoro said. His face held an expression of irritation, but Chopper felt it wasn't directed exactly at him. "Doesn't mean I can't try to at least understand that part of you. I've seen people who would date their own reflection if they could, and they aren't half as obsessed with how they look as you are, Chopper."

"Mmm," Chopper made a noise as he squirmed his way to a seating position. Zoro's face was close to his. He found it difficult to do little more than glance away. "I know I should be over most of this by now, huh? I mean… I finally found friends. I found you, too."

"That's not what I meant," Zoro said. He groaned and planted a hand against his face in frustration. Eventually he rolled on his back and let out another noise of frustration.

"I'm sorry," Chopper said quickly. "I ruined a nice moment, didn't I?"

"It's not that," Zoro said. "You still suck at pillow talk, though."

Chopper found himself giggling at Zoro's words. What tension he had previously felt in the air melted just as quickly as he let his body melt against Zoro's side once more. When Zoro's hand found his back and kept Chopper at his side the reindeer glanced up. The swordsman was staring directly upward without a clear expression on his face.

"You know," Zoro said. "I know you've never really fully opened up about it, but I can tell you had a rough past."

Chopper kept silent. He didn't even look up at Zoro when he said those words. Even his words made it hard to tell what emotion he was attempting to convey.

"I can't really relate to the problems you have," Zoro continued. "I've never worried that I shouldn't fall in love with somebody, or thought they'd hate me for how I look. I know this isn't like me to say this, but if you wanted to talk about it all I can at least listen."

"You don't wanna hear all that," Chopper said. His tone was quiet.

"Well it's not high on my list of things I'd look forward to," Zoro said. Finally some emotion broke through in the form of humor. "But I'd do it for you. If it helps me understand you more I think it's worth it."

"Does it have to be right now?" Chopper asked. His emotions were all twisted now. There was a burning light in the reindeer's chest from Zoro's words of affection, but also fear at the request.

"No," Zoro said. "Whenever you're ready I'll listen."

"Alright," Chopper said. He was hesitant to agree, but for the sake of Zoro he tried to put a bit of a backbone behind his words. After Zoro gave one of his faint smiles Chopper rested his cheek near Zoro's pec. "But only if…"

Chopper trailed off. He closed his eyes and worked up the courage to ask one final thing.

"If you sleep here tonight, okay?"

Zoro laughed, and Chopper found his blush returning with a vengeance.

"Wasn't that already the plan?" Zoro asked.

"I-I wasn't sure if you wanted to sneak out before the others woke up," Chopper said. He felt Zoro's hand ruffle the fur on top of his head. Chopper responded by grumbling under his breath. "I kinda wanna know what it's like to wake up next to you… Is that dumb?"

"No," Zoro said as he settled down and put his head against the pillow. "I was just thinking how tired I felt."

Zoro got up from the bed to shut off the lights. When he crawled back into bed he was quick to put his hand on Chopper's side. In the dark the reindeer suddenly felt lips quickly press to his own. Chopper couldn't help but giggle when they parted.

The night had been filled with far too many emotions for the reindeer. Still, there was a lingering sense of calm under it all. Zoro was there for all of it, and Chopper wouldn't have it any other way. He closed his eyes and tried to let the bad feelings slip away just as he too slipped away into slumber.

"Night, Zoro," Chopper mumbled moments before he became too tired to say anything else.

"Night, Chopper," Zoro replied.


	14. Secrets

It was difficult for Chopper to describe his feelings upon waking up and finding that Zoro was still beside him. Part of him deep down was still worried that all of it would be taken away by sleep. It was similar to how he felt waking up his very first night on the straw-hat's ship so long ago. Happiness, disbelief, and a twinge of fear at what exactly would come next. Even still every time he closed his eyes he feared Zoro might be gone when he opened them once more. He pressed his hoof to Zoro's chest to feel his beating heart just to assure himself that this was real. He wanted to take in this moment with every sense he had, and chizel it into his head to be permanently ingrained.

He slept with Zoro last night. They had spent countless hours talking. They had been so close throughout the night that not once did Chopper feel a hint of cold despite the wintery landscape outside. Chopper could feel his heartbeat accelerate at these thoughts. His eyes began to sting to the point he had to shut them and bury his face against Zoro's arm, which he had been using as a pillow throughout the night.

Every time Chopper thought he couldn't feel happier, something new came up to prove him wrong. This morning was only the most recent in the past few weeks of happiness.

Once he managed to get control of his emotions Chopper lifted his head. The weight of Zoro's other arm pressed down on his back, making movement difficult. He stared at Zoro's face. Zoro always looked angry, or annoyed to some degree. Even when he slept his brows were furrowed with a crease in the shape of a triangle between his eyebrows made from years of constant scowling. Still, he looked peaceful. Chopper squirmed his body somewhat free of Zoro's grasp and stretched out his neck until he could gently press his muzzle to Zoro's cheek.

"Mmm," Zoro made a noise upon contact and Chopper felt his body jolt with worry. A few moments later the swordsman opened his eyes, and Chopper was forced to stare back.

"Sorry," Chopper said quietly. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Sokay," Zoro said. His words were a slur of exhausted speech. He lifted his arm off of Chopper's back to rub at his face right where Chopper had just kissed him. "Your nose is freaking cold."

With those words Zoro swung his arm back over Chopper's body and rolled until the reindeer was pressed firmly against him. Chopper let out a tiny gasp at the sudden affection, but didn't dare squirm or make any more noises of complaint in fear it would make Zoro stop. His heart, however, could not so easily be controlled. It continued to pound viciously in his chest.

"First damn night we've been here that I didn't freeze my ass off," Zoro said with a light chuckle as he clutched Chopper tighter. "It's nice to be so close to somebody for a change."

"That's not very good," Chopper said. "That's a good way to get hypothermia if you're not careful."

"Really?" Zoro asked. "I just said how great it was to cuddle up with you and you start giving me the doctor talk?"

"I'm just trying to… Hold on, did you just use the word cuddle?" Chopper asked. Suddenly he was unable to keep himself from smiling no matter how much he tried. It simply broke out on his face upon the realization of what exactly Zoro had said.

"Yeah?" Zoro replied. "So?"

"It's weird to hear you say that," Chopper said. He was trying to keep himself from cracking up but it was going very poorly. "Your voice is so gruff and mean sounding and… I dunno, manly? It's really weird to hear, is all."

"It's not that weird," Zoro said. He was frowning now, but Chopper could tell it came from confusion more so than any negative feelings. "It's kind of what we did. What else do I call it? Snuggle?"

"Oh, gosh, that's so much worse," Chopper laughed. "C'mon, you know Sanji would give you so much hell for saying that to me! Even more if he actually saw it."

"Why the hell would I care?" Zoro said. "I'd like to see him try to make fun of me before I cut his precious hands off. I'll snuggle with whoever the hell I want to."

It was with that sentence that Chopper was unable to contain himself and burst out laughing. Really, it wasn't even all that funny. It was simply the absurdity of Zoro, one of the strongest and most deadly men Chopper knew, opening up so shamelessly to Chopper.

"Piss off, furball," Zoro groaned before running his hand forcefully through Chopper's chest fur to fluff it up. He made a swift motion with his arm and suddenly Chopper was forced under the large blanket that Zoro threw overtop him. He yelped and squirmed, trying to fight his way to freedom as he felt Zoro climb overtop him off of the bed. The sound of the swordsman's feet creaking on the wood floor was what Chopper heard just as he managed to free his head from the blanket. He was greeted instantly by Zoro standing before him picking up his strewn about clothing piece by piece.

Chopper was finding it difficult not to stare. Last night he had been so inside his own head trying not to screw up that it had been difficult to appreciate all of Zoro. When Zoro glanced behind him Chopper instantly shot his head down. His cheeks felt warm.

"Shut up," Chopper said quickly.

"I didn't say anything," Zoro said.

"You were gonna," Chopper mumbled.

"I might have been thinking of a comment or two," Zoro replied. "What, you didn't get a good enough look last night?"

Zoro then smirked, and Chopper felt his face become so warm that he buried his face under the blankets to mask his embarrassment.

The reindeer listened to Zoro finish getting dressed as he calmed down under the safety of the blanket. After a minute the swordsman got down onto his knees and Chopper could make out the faint outline of Zoro through the thin fabric. Zoro pulled down the blanket to expose Chopper's face.

"Your face is red," Zoro said.

"Jerk," Chopper mumbled.

"I know," Zoro replied as he stroked the fur on Chopper's cheek. The reindeer's nerves near instantly soothed at that slight touch. It was almost annoying how Zoro could do that to him. "Listen, if you're not sick of me yet how about we give our time together off the ship another shot today? We can stay in town this time so we don't wind up in a cave for three hours."

Chopper felt his heart begin to flutter.

"You mean a date?" Chopper asked.

"Ugh," Zoro groaned and rolled his eyes. "If you tell Sanji I said this I'll skin you… but, yeah, basically. It's a date."

Chopper smiled to the point he wasn't sure if he could physically restrain himself from showing teeth. He squirmed and gave a nod of his head. Zoro gave a light smile of his own before he leaned in and gave Chopper a quick kiss. Again, like many times before, Chopper felt his heart flutter at the touch of Zoro's lips. When they parted he was already giggling.

"You're really mushy lately," Chopper said.

"Whose fault is that?" Zoro asked with a smirk before he squeezed Chopper's cheek. After a few moments he released his fingers, and then his smirk faded. His eyes cast downward very briefly as a new emotion crossed his face. Chopper struggled to read what Zoro was feeling.

"Is something wrong?" Chopper asked.

"No," Zoro said as he shook his head. He reached down his hand and grasped Chopper's hoof. He squeezed it in his hand and let out a long sigh. "I'm just thinking about when my body moved to block that bullet… I'm really glad it happened. I think I would have been too thick to figure out how I really felt, otherwise."

Zoro frowned and shook his head again, this time with a groan.

"That sounds wrong," Zoro grumbled. "I just me—-"

"I'm glad too," Chopper responded before Zoro could finish.

Zoro looked to him, and for a moment they just stared at each other. There wasn't Zoro's usual cocky smile or even much emotion. Him and Chopper just stared at each other in silence, taking in the weight of those words. Chopper's heart was pounding but not once did he look away. Finally the spell was broken when Zoro lifted his hand and put it on the back of Chopper's head and began to lightly tossle the fur on the reindeer's body.

"Get some rest," Zoro said. He reached down and picked up Chopper's hat, which had been sitting on the floor this entire time. He put it over Chopper's head and squeezed it past his antlers only to push it down past his eyes. When Chopper pushed it up Zoro was already standing. "I'm gonna go train. Wanna meet up around lunch?"

"Sure," Chopper said.

It was getting really hard not to constantly smile.

—-

* * *

The kitchen was already a mess by the time Chopper worked up the energy to crawl himself out of bed and try to get breakfast. Minus Zoro, it seemed that the reindeer was one of the last to come to the kitchen that morning. As he wandered inside, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, he saw Sanji with his sleeves rolled up plunged into the kitchen sink scrubbing at plates.

"Morning," Chopper said sleepily as he made his way inside. He noticed Nami, Luffy, and Usopp all at the table. Nami was staring downward at a map with a cup of coffee pushed to the side while Luffy was too busy stuffing his face to notice the reindeer. The only one who glanced his way was Usopp.

Usopp did something strange when he saw Chopper. His eyes widened, and then he glanced away quickly.

"Morning," Sanji said, distracting Chopper before he could think too hard about his friend's strange look. "Is Zoro not with you?"

"No," Chopper said, instantly feeling warm in the face at Sanji's assumption. "He's up training."

"Figures he'd take his swell time," Sanji grumbled as he rolled his eyes. "Food's on the counter. Dig in before Luffy steals it all."

Chopper did just that. He grabbed his plate of food quickly before heading over toward the table on the end that both Luffy and Usopp were sitting.

"Morning," Luffy said, his mouth still full of food as he attempted to speak.

Usopp didn't greet Chopper. In fact, he seemed to tense up as the reindeer approached. Once Chopper was closer he saw that Usopp's plate was almost full compared to Luffy's practically empty one. It wasn't unusual for Luffy to eat the fastest, but it was for Usopp to be moving around the food on his plate without so much as lifting his fork. He was staring downward when Chopper sat down with his head leaning on his hand. Once Chopper cocked his head and tried to meet Usopp's eyes only then did Usopp look up. He seemed to jump upon realizing that Chopper was staring at him.

"O-Oh, hey!" Usopp said quickly. "Sorry, I was thinking about something."

"It's fine," Chopper said. "You okay?"

"What?" Usopp asked. He looked up again at Chopper. It seemed like he had already drifted off in thought, because when he responded he jumped again. He was definitely avoiding Chopper's eye. "Sorry, I uh… I just remembered, I promised Franky I would help him with a… thing."

"A thing?" Chopper asked. He was even more confused now.

"An IMPORTANT thing!" Usopp said before standing up. "Sorry, gotta run!"

Before Chopper could think of what to say Usopp was already half-jogging out of the kitchen. He breezed right past Sanji and nearly stumbled his way out of the door. Chopper watched with a frown on his face.

"What's with him?" Chopper asked before looking back to Luffy, who was already grabbing what was left on Usopp's plate and shoveling it onto his own.

"Dunno," Luffy said before stuffing a slab of meat into his mouth. "Man, I can't believe he just left this food. This stuff's good!"

Chopper frowned and stared back at the doorway. Part of him was tempted to abandon his meal and go after Usopp himself, but before he could give that any real weight he heard his name be called.

"Hey, Chopper," Nami said from the other end of the table. "How are we on medical supplies?"

Chopper's train of thought was forced to derail.

"I've only had to use a few bandages on Usopp" Chopper said. "Are we leaving soon?"

"Hopefully tonight," Nami said. "Last night while I was out all the locals said a storm was coming tomorrow. The log pose was ready this morning, so I'd like to get out of here and avoid another blizzard like that last one. So stock up on what you need before we head out, alright?"

"Alright," Chopper said with a nod. "Me and Zoro were planning to go out around lunch anyway."

"Again?" Luffy asked. "You two have been together a lot lately."

Instantly Chopper felt his chest tense up. For Luffy of all people to realize something was going on worried the reindeer to no end. He really was bad at hiding this sort of thing.

"Um… A little, I guess," Chopper said as he rubbed uncomfortably at his neck.

"Hey, Luffy," Sanji snapped. "Get your ass over here and help me wash dishes! It's your turn, anyway."

"Uuuugh, fine," Luffy whined just as he finished the last of Usopp's food. Chopper looked to see Sanji smile briefly in his direction before turning away back toward the sink. Chopper let out a long sigh to himself once Luffy was up and heading toward the sink.

Chopper began to properly eat his food as he worked to smooth out all his jumbled thoughts. He thought the only thing he had to worry about today was what exactly he and Zoro would do together. However, Usopp's behavior was lingering in the back of his mind. On top of that, he had to worry about Luffy noticing him and Zoro's time together and start making a list in his head of what he wanted to look to buy medically speaking.

"Ugggh," Chopper groaned under his breath. His head felt like it might burst with worry.

Then, seemingly just to push the reindeer over the edge, Chopper felt a hand press to his side. This concerned him, seeing as how he was utterly alone at his end of the table. He yelped and jumped straight out of his seat only to fall right onto his back with a loud thud.

"What the heck was that?" Nami called, standing up to look down at the reindeer.

Chopper sat up slowly. His eyes widened as he saw a long, tan arm sticking out from the underside of the table and slowly sink back in until it disappeared.

Robin.

"S-Sorry," Chopper said as he got back up and rubbed where he had fallen. "I guess I just slipped."

"Well jeez, be more careful," Nami said before sitting back down.

Chopper looked around the room and toward the windows, but he didn't see Robin anywhere. He reached up to grab his plate, which he was already close to finishing, and shoved the last few bites in his mouth before handing it off to Luffy.

"Thanks for the food," Chopper said quickly before he turned to leave the kitchen. His heart was racing as he stepped outside.

He still didn't see Robin. That was until a new hand sprouted right in front of him, startling the reindeer. It pointed its finger directly at Chopper, who slowly turned around and glanced up. There he finally saw Robin standing before the railing on the second floor. Her eyes were locked on a book in one hand, but upon seeing that Chopper had found her she shut it gently and gave him a smile.

"Hi, Robin," Chopper said, turning to gaze up at the woman. "Did you need something?"

"I don't think I need you, but," Robin began. "I have a feeling you want to talk to me. Am I wrong?"

Robin's voice was gentle and soothing. It only made Chopper feel all the more silly for feeling so anxious at the sight of her. But Chopper couldn't stop thinking of the night before.

She knew Chopper's secret. That simple fact made the reindeer feel sick to his stomach. Though it was usually hard for the reindeer to read her blank eyes he saw a hint of compassion behind them. He reminded himself that Robin wasn't malicious, and more importantly that she was his friend.

"I-I do," Chopper said, hoping that his voice didn't sound nearly as nervous as he felt. He looked down, his face already feeling warm. His ears twitched when he heard Robin's gentle chuckle.

"Well then," Robin said. "Should I get Zoro's attention, or do you want to go fetch him?"


End file.
